Medtech does what it says on the tin. A field that accounts for technologies, i.e products, services, and solutions, that are used to save and improve people’s lives, it can range from the plasters in your first-aid box to high-tech implantable devices and replacement joints. 

With more than 500,000 medical technologies available in the 140 billion EUR market, and employing more than 760,000 people, medtech is big business. Just as women’s underrepresentation in technology remains a huge problem, gender bias in medical research and clinical practice is sadly not uncommon. With that in mind, let’s meet the women who are making moves in the use of technology to improve both women’s and the general population’s health. 

1. Sarah Muggenburg | Co-Founder and head of content of Keleya

Pregnancy may be the most exciting thing that will happen to you, but it also may be the most daunting. With this in mind, Sarah Muggenburg co-founded the pregnancy app Keleya in 2017 in Berlin, designed as your ideal companion and coach throughout your pregnancy. 

As a yoga teacher and a mum of two, her journey into medtech came from her desire to support women on their way into motherhood and beyond. Keleya’s aims to provide physical support, in the form of personalised workouts and recipes, as well as educational support, with a huge selection of articles, insights, and statistics from knowledgeable experts in the field. 

2. Eirini Rapti | Co-Founder and CEO of inne

Compelled by her own desire to use natural contraception, Eirini started inne in 2017. A healthcare professional turned entrepreneur, Eirini was determined to discover a way of leveraging technology to allow women to have a greater understanding of their bodies and take control of their contraceptive choices. 

Developing a saliva biosensor device that enables women to identify the fertile phase in their natural cycle, inne’s mission is to help women tune into their bodies in a way that is compatible with everyday life. 

3. Ida Tin | Co-Founder and Chairwoman at Clue 

If you are familiar with the term “femtech” then you have no doubt heard of Ida Tin. The Danish entrepreneur is widely credited with coining the term in 2016 as a way to legitimise the female health technology market and drive investment and innovation in the space. A true Xena hero.

Described as the most trusted female health app, Clue enables its users to benefit from insights into female health. With more than twelve million active users in over 190 countries, it is one of the most popular apps in the “Health & Fitness” category in the US, Germany, UK and many more. As a sidenote, she has also written a Danish bestseller about her experiences travelling the world on motorcycles with her parents. Iconic.

7. Anna von Stackelberg | Co-Founder doctorly

After more than 10 years working in the creative sector, in 2018 Anna joined Archil Eristavi, Nicklas Teicke, and Samir El-Alami in founding a health-tech startup focused on making doctors’ lives that little bit easier. A fully digital cloud-powered system, doctorly replaces outdated practice management software to save time, money, and help doctors provide deeper digital connections to their patients. 

Rather than circling the margins, both these and other women in medtech are demanding  the space and attention that has long been neglected. And for that, we salute them. 

5. Helene Schönewolf | Co-Founder and CEO RAMPmedical

Incorrect therapies are a major problem in healthcare despite our expectation for doctors to know it all. Here steps in Helene Schönewolf and RAMPmedical, an EU-awarded AI decision support tool that helps doctors find the right treatment for their patients. 

Coming into the industry by working at her father’s clinic, Helene worked in business development in the ophthalmosurgical industry, followed by pharma marketing in neurology, before founding RAMP, where she has been managing the company as CEO for the last 4 years.

6. Hajnalka Hejja, MD | Founder and CEO Super Izzy AI

Medical doctor turned entrepreneur, Hajnalka is the creator of Super Izzy, a virtual health assistant that provides expertise about women’s health and STIs through instant messaging platforms. A period tracking and pill reminder chatbot, the aim is to help people take care of their health through technology. 

After finishing her studies in Budapest, Hajnalka worked in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries,  in business and scientific roles, before turning her attention to medtech in 2016. And aren’t we glad she did. 

4. Anne-Mette Jensen | Co-Founder and CEO at Clouz 

Previously Operations Director at Clue and Head of Product at Caspar Health, Anne-Mette Jensen co-founded the medical device startup, Clouz Gmbh, along with Dr. Panagiotis Fikatas and Marco Climaco in 2019. The idea? Surgical knots that you don’t need to tie.

A spinoff from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of the largest university hospitals in Europe, the medtech startup has developed a novel surgical knot-tying device allowing quick, easy and reliable closure even in the most restrictive surgeries.