Hong Kong femtech founders fight taboos and stigma, seek more investor support so city can rival Singapore as hub
- A group of local entrepreneurs is pushing through institutional barriers, but Hong Kong lags behind Singapore in nurturing the femtech start-up scene
- Technology designed to improve women’s lives will be a US$68.9 billion industry in 2027, analysts say
Four years ago, when Dr Choi Pui-wah went to meet the first batch of potential investors to apply for seed funding for her femtech start-up, male investors showed no interest.
Her product, a sanitary pad that can test for cervical cancer, is meant to replace the Pap smear, an invasive procedure that involves inserting a tool into the vagina, deterring women who are more conservative.
“I heard feedback from male investors that doing a Pap smear is no big deal, that it is not that uncomfortable,” Choi said. “They think my invention is not urgently needed.”
Sex toys, sanitary pads, subscription services for birth control pills and wearable devices tracking menopause are all examples of femtech offerings – technology designed to improve women’s lives.
One of the world’s fastest-growing industries, femtech will be worth US$68.9 billion (HK$540 billion) in 2027, industry analysts say.
