February 2025 - Sustainable Femtech Network Newsletter
From Seaweed 'Kelpons' to Tampons from Mars | Sustainable AI tools | Find your next Impact Investor
Welcome to the Sustainable FemTech Network newsletter, February 2025 edition!
🗞️ News
🌊 Vyld's innovative seaweed-based tampon has officially launched across Germany. The ‘Kelpon’ supports ocean regeneration while addressing at least 8 of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The brand’s nationwide expansion follows a healthy investment round in 2024, highlighting that innovation at the intersection of femtech and sustainability has a place in the consumer market.
💰 Snuggs have secured a boost for their sustainable underwear line, with €5 million in fresh funding led by TripleB. Since launching in 2019, they've expanded to nearly 3,000 retail locations across three countries while offering alternatives to traditional disposable products. This investment brings their total funding to an impressive €12 million and will fuel their expansion into key UK and European markets.
♻️ In a groundbreaking shift toward sustainable healthcare, Denmark's Ministry of Health has implemented new legislation permitting the reprocessing of single-use medical devices. This progressive policy change marks a significant advancement in reducing medical waste across the Danish healthcare system, following the lead of countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, and paving the way for others.
🌱 Major European healthcare organisations including Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and Centre Hospitalier d'Angoulême have united behind Born Green Generation, a campaign focused on minimising exposure to harmful plastics and chemicals in infant care environments. This collaborative effort represents a significant step toward creating healthier, more sustainable healthcare settings for mothers and newborns.
💰 Impact Ventures have announced a new €40M VC fund supporting early-stage startups and SMEs in Hungary and Central Eastern Europe, focusing on healthtech, medtech, recycling, waste management, and clean energy.
💸 Meanwhile, SOSV has announced a $306 million investment fund, SOSV V, its largest to date, prioritising the intersection of human and planetary health. The fund will back deep tech startups focusing on transformative solutions for climate change and health issues. Emphasising decarbonisation and re-industrialisation, SOSV is set to "reinvent the means of production," driving significant advancements in both sectors.
👟 Research from the University of Notre Dame has uncovered high levels of PFAS - toxic ‘forever chemicals’ - in smartwatch and wearable fitness bands, where bands are worn snugly against the skin and absorbtion may be increased through sweating. This comes as Apple faces a class-action lawsuit over claims that its Watch bands contain PFAS, highlighting the need for developers of healthtech wearables to carefully consider body-safe and sustainable materials in their product design.
🏆 Lucy Hope, founder of FemTech startup Daughters of Mars, has been awarded an Innovate UK ‘Women in Innovation’ award for her novel tampon design, with a patented prebiotic coating to support the vaginal microbiome. As an alumni of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, sustainability is at the heart of Lucy’s vision for the company, which is committed to being a 100% plastic free brand. The tampons will be made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and their patented and innovative coating also has also passed GOTS approval, holding it to a high level of scrutiny for safety and environmental sustainability. The company plans to expand future product development into pads and period knickers.
🏆 Menstrual cup brand Asan has been recognized as a runner-up at the Startups 100 Social Impact Awards. In 2024 alone, Asan prevented over 100 tonnes of plastic waste from reaching landfills. Each purchase also supports menstrual health education and includes a donated cup to women in need, impacting over 35,000 women and saving communities approximately $22 million in household income.
🌎 Climate x Health Research
New study published in Nature shows microplastics are making their way into human brains
Researchers find link between climate change temperature rise and mental health
A new report looks at the integration of climate and health policies in the UK
🎟️ Events
LONDON, UK | Green Maternity Conference | 19 March Hosted by the RCOG, RCM, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, this one-of-a-kind event brings together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and academics passionate about driving sustainability in obstetrics and gynaecology.
HYBRID | Digital Product Sustainability Pulse | 6 March Why is digital product sustainability on the radar of some companies but not others?Join the launch of the Digital Product Sustainability Pulse, which summarises expert know-how and results from Product Owner interviews across Europe on Digital Product Sustainability.
ONLINE | CleanMed Europe 2025 | 10-13 June Join health professionals, sustainability experts, business innovators, suppliers, and procurement managers to learn about the latest advances in delivering high-quality, sustainable healthtech - early 20% discount available until 21st March!
ONLINE | SHARE 2025 - Sustainable Healthcare Academic Research and Enterprise | 20 June (FREE)
📚 Resources
WATCH - Advocate Health talks collaboration and technology for sustainability in healthcare.
LISTEN - How innovation in plant science and bioengineering can lead to sustainable drug production.
COMPARE - The AI Energy Score is a new tool that ranks the energy use and environmental impact of different AI tools, to help software developers and companies make informed, sustainable choices.
READ - ‘Empowering Healthcare Professionals to Drive Sustainable Change in the Sector’ Health Care Without Harm Europe addresses healthcare's negative impact on the environment, strategies to reduce it, and their efforts to support the sector in achieving this goal.
NETWORK - A global list of Impact Investing conferences for 2025, created by Aunnie Patton Power
💰 Funding and Opportunities
Are you part of an SME with sustainable solutions that are impactful, innovative, and inspiring? The Zayed Sustainability Prize is now open for applications.
Applications are also open for the HIMSS25 Europe Startup Pitchfest Competition - an opportunity to present solutions that streamline healthcare processes or enhance health equity. Finalists will pitch live in Paris at #HIMSS25Europe.
The Social Enterprise Accelerator connects impact-driven leaders with the resources and networks needed to grow. Join the July 2025 cohort here.
Wellcome are seeking applications from transdisciplinary teams for their Climate Impact Awards. The aim of the scheme is to drive climate policy action by making the physical and mental health impacts of climate change visible. (Want to collaborate? Drop us an email!)
Need funding to test an innovative new idea? Cranfield University’s Future Frontiers Fund supports the generation of fresh ideas, technologies, products and services, offering £10,000 to test early-stage concepts alongside technical mentoring support.
Sign up to become a Healthtech Mentor (or Mentee) with Sixty Twelve.
🙋🏻♀️ Jobs
MSF / Doctors Without Borders Sustainable Medical Product Advisor
Modibodi Senior Designer
Healthcare Without Harm Director of Operations
Bloody Good Period Trustees
NHS Chief Sustainability Officer’s Clinical Fellow Scheme
University of Exeter Postdoctoral Research Fellow in AI/Machine learning for climate and health
👋🏻
That’s all for this month!
If you have a story you would like to share, email hello@sustainablefemtech.net and tell us your news!