Womens Health Investment Outlook 2026

The analyses conducted for this report revealed: –Chronic underinvestment: Women’s health receives only 6% of private healthcare capital, and companies focused exclusively on women’s health capture less than 1%. –An early-stage market: 50% of private investment in women’s health-specific companies remains at the earliest stages (vs. 32% across healthcare). –Capital concentration: 80% of funding events and 90% of capital flow to three areas – reproductive health, maternal care and women’s cancers, leaving significant white space in women-specific conditions, as well as high- prevalence, high-burden conditions that affect women differently and disproportionately. –Emerging horizontal, cross-therapeutic solutions: Nearly half of women’s health companies operate in cross-therapeutic or functional areas, such as diagnostics, digital platforms and pharmaceuticals. –Geographic imbalance: North America and Europe dominate deal activity, while low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are under- represented despite high disease burden. –Proof of scale: The in vitro fertilization (IVF) market shows what is possible in women’s health; when scientific reliability, reimbursement and policy align, a niche market can become a multibillion-dollar, high-growth industry.3,4 The report also spotlights six high-potential areas that serve as exemplars of where current activity and forward signals point to investment opportunity: women’s cancer therapeutics; virtual women’s healthcare and benefits management; remote maternal health monitoring; women-focused mental health platforms; women-first longevity and wellness concierge services; and wearable devices and platforms for metabolic health. What is needed now is targeted, multistakeholder action across six fronts: –Build a demand-driven evidence base with sex- specific research and real-world outcomes to de-risk pipelines –Mobilize blended capital to bridge the translational “valley of death” and attract private investment –Modernize regulatory and clinical end-points to accelerate market entry –Expand reimbursement to establish predictable revenue models –Encourage participation from adjacent incumbents with the capabilities to address women-specific needs –Increase transparency on economic returns and clinical outcomes to enable investors to accurately assess market potential and make informed investment decisions The business case for women’s health is clear and compelling. Significant white space remains across therapeutic areas and delivery models, offering investors the chance to shape a high-growth, underdeveloped market. Aligning capital with innovation will not only unlock meaningful financial returns but also create durable value across the broader health economy. Women’s Health Investment Outlook 5