Femtech is booming. According to FemTech Analytics, the sector is on track to reach $75.1 billion by 2025. Yet there’s also a “silent” potential worth $360 billion — an invisible market still untouched by today’s industry. Flo has long been a femtech synonym, but once you set aside that “obligatory first line,” you’ll find plenty of robust, evidence-based, and, crucially, battle-tested alternatives. Here are three apps we think deserve your attention.
Natural Cycles. A fertility-monitoring app that in Aug 2018 cleared as a Class II “software application for contraception” by FDA. In effect, it offers a hormone-free alternative, using measurements of a woman’s physiological signals processed by a mathematical algorithm. More than 4 million women use it; it carries CE certification in the EU and its results appear in peer-reviewed journals. Ideal for anyone who wants to understand her cycle, avoid pregnancy, or, conversely, boost her chances of conceiving.
Clue. A Berlin-based project often compared with Flo, but built on a different philosophy. Clue tracks not only the cycle itself but 30-plus related parameters — from pain and mood to sleep and dreams. In 2021 the FDA cleared Clue Birth Control as a Class II software device for digital contraception, placing it among the few femtech platforms with that level of trust. Today Clue counts 10 million users in 190 countries.
Ovia Health by Labcorp. An entire ecosystem covering fertility tracking, pregnancy, and baby care. Ovia is popular with both individual users and corporate clients: many US-based employers weave the platform into their health-benefit programs. Since 2012, it has served more than 18 million users, and in 2021 it was acquired by healthcare giant Labcorp. This is a prime example of femtech’s integration into traditional healthcare.