# FemTech Focus: Clarification on Organization Type
FemTech Focus is not a company—it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the women's health technology sector.[1][2] This distinction is important for understanding its mission and structure.
High-Level Overview
FemTech Focus operates as a nonprofit champion of the FemTech industry, empowering key stakeholders including entrepreneurs, investors, governments, and biopharma companies with essential resources and awareness.[4] The organization was founded by Dr. Brittany Barreto, who recognized a critical gap: two years ago, when she decided to start a venture fund dedicated to women's health, no comprehensive data existed on FemTech deals and exits, and the sector was dismissed as a niche industry.[1]
The organization's core mission centers on three pillars: empowering, equipping, and uniting healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to revolutionize women's health and wellness.[1] FemTech Focus operates primarily through its flagship FemTech Focus podcast, which has evolved into the first and longest-running podcast dedicated to FemTech, featuring over 250 episodes with listeners across 143 countries and 235,000 downloads.[5]
Origin Story
Dr. Brittany Barreto founded FemTech Focus after recognizing that the women's health technology sector lacked visibility and institutional support. Her background combines scientific expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and investment knowledge.[5] Alongside founding the nonprofit, Barreto became co-founding partner of Coyote Ventures, a U.S.-based venture fund investing in early-stage women's health startups, creating a complementary ecosystem where the nonprofit raises awareness while the venture fund provides capital.[1]
The organization's impact expanded significantly with the publication of the 2021 FemTech Landscape report, a groundbreaking analysis that documented disparities in the healthcare market and identified developing opportunities in women's health technology.[1] This research demonstrated that FemTech is far from niche: there are more than 816 companies in the category, with the women's health market projected to reach $1.103 trillion by 2027.[1]
Core Differentiators
- Unique positioning as a nonprofit advocate: Unlike traditional venture funds or industry associations, FemTech Focus operates as a neutral champion without direct financial incentives, allowing it to address systemic gaps in women's health innovation.[1][2]
- Thought leadership through media: The podcast format provides a scalable platform for educating investors, entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals about FemTech opportunities and challenges, reaching a global audience.[5]
- Research-backed insights: The organization publishes comprehensive landscape reports that quantify market opportunities and identify underserved areas, providing data-driven direction for the industry.[1]
- Founder-centric perspective: Four out of five FemTech founders are female, solving problems they experience firsthand.[1] FemTech Focus amplifies these voices and advocates for expanding focus beyond saturated segments (menstruation, maternal health, fertility) to underserved areas like menopause, contraception, urinary health, and chronic conditions affecting women across all races and socioeconomic classes.[1]
- Published expertise: Dr. Barreto authored a bestselling book based on the top 100 podcast episodes, exposing readers to dozens of international researchers, innovators, and investors across fourteen health verticals.[5]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
FemTech Focus operates at a critical inflection point in healthcare innovation. The women's health market represents a $1 trillion+ opportunity that has historically been underfunded and under-researched relative to its size and impact.[1] The organization serves as a bridge between three constituencies—founders solving real problems, investors seeking high-growth opportunities, and healthcare systems seeking innovation—that previously lacked a common platform.
The timing is significant: as venture capital increasingly recognizes women's health as a legitimate investment thesis, FemTech Focus provides the narrative infrastructure and data foundation that legitimizes the sector. By documenting that over 816 companies exist and projecting trillion-dollar market potential, the organization has helped shift FemTech from "niche" to "emerging category," influencing capital allocation decisions across the venture ecosystem.
Quick Take & Future Outlook
FemTech Focus is positioned as the authoritative voice shaping how the women's health technology sector is understood and funded. As the market matures, the organization's influence will likely expand beyond awareness-building into deeper roles: setting standards for what constitutes genuine innovation in women's health, advocating for research equity, and ensuring that FemTech solutions address health disparities rather than concentrating benefits among affluent populations.
The organization's evolution from a podcast into a multi-platform thought leader (podcast, book, landscape reports, nonprofit infrastructure) suggests a trajectory toward becoming the de facto standard-setter for the FemTech industry—similar to how organizations like Code2040 or Plug and Play have shaped their respective ecosystems. As women's health moves from underinvestment to mainstream venture focus, FemTech Focus will likely play an increasingly central role in directing that capital toward the most impactful innovations.