FemTech Observatory
FemTech Observatory ItalyThe map of innovation in women’s health
The first FemTech Observatory in Italy. Every year it maps, measures and tells the story of the companies innovating in women’s health, to make visible what traditional data do not measure.
Are you a FemTech company? Find out how to join the map
until the release of the second edition
Key figures ·
Italian FemTech in numbers
The key indicators from the latest survey of startups, SMEs and projects developing solutions for women’s health.
A growing but still emerging market
The 2025 revenue of the mapped companies exceeds €707 million, but 56% have revenues below €50,000 and 34% do not yet generate revenue. 62% are in the early stages of growth and development.
Innovation and regulatory challenges
59% already use Artificial Intelligence, but 79% hold no certifications and 55% report medium-to-high difficulty in managing them.
The context holds growth back
78% rate regional support as absent or insufficient and 53% face bias from banks and investors. 91% struggle to communicate online.
The report
Download the FemTech Observatory report
The is released on . In the meantime you can download the edition already published and, if you like, we will let you know as soon as the new one is online.
- The map of FemTech companies in Italy
- National and international insights
- In-depth analysis of innovation and women’s health
Archive
Previous editions
About the Observatory
The annual research on FemTech in Italy
The Tech4Fem FemTech Observatory is the first initiative for the continuous monitoring of the FemTech ecosystem in Italy, created to analyse the women’s health innovation market and produce data to support businesses, investors and institutions.
The research combines official registers, digital sources and direct surveys, using a methodology developed on international models and validated with Minerva Lab – Sapienza University of Rome, and replicable in other countries too.
The goal is to make Italian FemTech more visible and measurable, helping to close the Women’s Health Gap through data and knowledge.
Map
We identify and census the FemTech companies active in Italy, building a structured, up-to-date map of the national ecosystem.
Measure
We collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data on companies, technologies, investments and context, to identify trends, challenges and growth opportunities.
Tell
We publish an annual report to give visibility to the Italian ecosystem, highlight its evolution and place it in the international context of women’s health innovation.
Our approach
Data Feminism: the principles guiding the FemTech Observatory
Data is not neutral.
Every research process involves choices: what to measure, which questions to ask, who to include and how to interpret the results. Choices that can shape how reality is represented and reproduce existing inequalities.
The FemTech Observatory draws on Data Feminism, the methodological approach developed by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein, which analyses power relations in data production and offers tools to recognise and counter their distortions.
Applying these principles means going beyond traditional metrics, integrating diverse perspectives and making under-represented phenomena visible, through a research model that is rigorous, inclusive and attentive to context.
Examine Power
Understand who decides what gets measured and who risks being left out.
Traditional surveys often favour funded companies or those listed in startup databases. We analyse these limits to identify FemTech companies that escape conventional measurement systems.
Challenge Power
Use data to challenge inequalities and make visible what is ignored.
We adopt a counter-data approach, extending the mapping to self-funded companies, emerging projects and different business models.
Elevate Emotion and Embodiment
Recognise the value of lived experience in building knowledge.
We combine economic and structural data with the motivations, experiences and challenges of those developing innovation.
Rethink Binaries and Hierarchies
Move beyond rigid classifications that risk excluding part of reality.
We adopt a multidisciplinary definition of FemTech, which includes conditions specific to women, diseases with different impacts by sex and gender, and social determinants of health, such as violence, care work and economic independence.
Embrace Pluralism
Integrate different sources, skills and perspectives to understand complex phenomena.
We combine public sources, digital research, direct contact with FemTech companies and structured questionnaires, developed on international models and validated with scientific and academic partners. We analyse the sector in its economic, technological, health and social dimensions.
Consider Context
Interpret data in light of the cultural, economic and social conditions in which they are produced.
We do not only measure revenue, investment and growth. We also analyse gender bias, cultural barriers, institutional support and regulatory obstacles, to understand the factors shaping FemTech development and to compare different ecosystems fairly.
Make Labor Visible
Recognise the value of work that economic metrics often fail to capture.
We record employment, collaborations, skills and motivations, also valuing contributions in research, advocacy and community building. We also acknowledge the work of the participating companies and of the people who make data production possible.
Measure to make visible, make visible to change.
We believe scientific rigour and commitment to equity are complementary. Our goal is not only to describe the FemTech ecosystem, but to generate evidence capable of guiding research, investment and public policy.
Reference: D’Ignazio, C., & Klein, L. F. (2020). Data Feminism, MIT Press.
The survey
Are you part of the FemTech ecosystem? Join the map
Every edition of the Observatory collects data from the companies developing solutions for women’s health. Taking part means being included in the reports and in the map of Italian FemTech.
- You join the official map of Italian FemTech
- You connect with other companies in the ecosystem
- You gain national and international visibility
- You get access to sector data useful for decision-making
The survey is by invitation: fill in a short request, we review it and, if your organization falls within the scope of the Observatory, we send you the link to take part.
Request to participateThe survey is not currently open to new requests. For information on the next survey, write to info@tech4fem.it.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about the Observatory
What is the FemTech Observatory Italy?
The Tech4Fem FemTech Observatory is the first initiative for the continuous monitoring of the FemTech ecosystem in Italy. It analyses the women’s health innovation market and produces data to support businesses, investors and institutions, to make Italian FemTech more visible and measurable and to help close the Women’s Health Gap.
What is FemTech?
FemTech (Female Technologies) covers technologies and innovations applied to the health and well-being of women and people assigned female at birth. It addresses conditions and diseases that are specific to women, that affect them differently from men or disproportionately, and includes companies working on the social determinants of health or on still underestimated conditions.
How is the research carried out?
The research combines official registers, digital sources and direct surveys. The questionnaire is structured, developed from international models and validated with Minerva Lab – Sapienza University of Rome. The methodology is replicable in other countries too, to allow comparison between different FemTech ecosystems.
What is Data Feminism and why do you apply it?
Data Feminism is the methodological approach developed by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein, which analyses power relations in data production. We apply it because data is not neutral: every study involves choices about what to measure, whom to include and how to interpret the results. The seven principles help us make under-represented companies visible, with a research model that is rigorous, inclusive and attentive to context.
Who can be included in the FemTech map?
Startups, SMEs, emerging projects, self-funded companies and organizations developing solutions for women’s health in Italy. No funding raised and no innovative startup status are required. Participation is on request: send the short form, Tech4Fem reviews it and, if your organization falls within the scope of the Observatory, sends you the link to the survey when it is open.
How often is the report published?
The Observatory is an annual project. Each edition updates the map, compares the data with the previous edition and widens the areas of analysis. The second edition is released on .
Is the report free?
Yes. Just fill in the form on this page to view and download the PDF of the latest edition.
How is the personal data in the form handled?
We use your first name, last name, email and, if you provide it, your organization to send you the report. We use your email for the Tech4Fem newsletter or to notify you when the new edition is out only if you tick the relevant boxes. Details are in the privacy policy.
Shall we get to know each other?
Tech4Fem is the first network in Italy dedicated to FemTech, women’s health and well-being.
The FemTech Observatory is supported by Minerva Lab, a multidisciplinary laboratory on gender diversity and inequalities at Sapienza University of Rome.