Rachel Bartholomew, CEO of Femtech Canada, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss investing in women’s health and company’s plan to close the gender health gap.

As International Women’s Day approaches, Canada’s emerging femtech sector is drawing attention from investors weighing long-term growth opportunities in women’s health. Advocates say structural gaps in research and funding have created both unmet medical need and untapped market potential.

BNN Bloomberg spoke with Rachel Bartholomew, CEO of Femtech Canada, about the pace of capital formation, venture interest and efforts to position women’s health innovation as a scalable investment theme.

Key TakeawaysFemtech targets conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women, expanding beyond reproductive care into heart disease, autoimmune disorders and other large addressable markets.Women were only required to be included in Canadian clinical trials starting in 1996, leaving research gaps that innovators now see as commercial opportunities.Canada’s femtech ecosystem has grown from about 51 companies to more than 200 since 2024, signalling accelerating sector formation.Roughly 12 per cent of companies have raised funding and about four per cent have secured institutional capital, highlighting a financing gap but also potential upside for early investors.Advocates are pushing for Bill S-243 and a modernized national women’s health strategy, which could unlock public funding, policy support and greater private-sector participation.Rachel Bartholomew, CEO of Femtech Canada Rachel Bartholomew, CEO of Femtech Canada

Read the full transcript below:

ROGER: International Women’s Day is coming up, and we’re looking at companies that are changing the social climate and Canadian economy for women, including Femtech Canada. It is the country’s first national network dedicated to advancing women’s health. Here to discuss the company’s work is Rachel Bartholomew, CEO and founder of Femtech Canada. Rachel, thank you very much for joining us today.

RACHEL: Thank you for having me.

ROGER: To start, tell us what femtech is and why you feel it is so needed right now.

RACHEL: Femtech refers to innovation and technology focused on women’s health. That can range from consumer products all the way to genomic sequencing and everything in between.

Why it’s so needed is that women have largely been left out of the conversation when it comes to health care. Here in Canada, it was only in 1996 that women were required to be included in clinical trials. That means we have decades of research gaps when it comes to products and treatments designed specifically for women.

DAN: When you think about the opportunities and the gaps that exist in the Canadian health-care system, what are some acute ones that stand out to you?

RACHEL: In women’s health, much of the focus has traditionally been on what we call “bikini medicine” — breast health, gynecological health, menstrual health and fertility. Those areas have received attention.

But as research has developed, we’ve found that women experience heart attacks differently. Women experience autoimmune diseases differently. There are also cancers and other conditions that affect women differently or disproportionately. So there are significant opportunities for innovation in heart health, autoimmune conditions and other areas beyond reproductive health.

ROGER: You launched in 2024 and say the network is now the third largest in the world. Is that because you’ve grown quickly, or because there was a space that needed to be filled?

RACHEL: There was definitely a space to be filled. When we started, there were about 51 women’s health companies across Canada. Now there are more than 200 across the country and counting.

As awareness around femtech grows and companies realize there is a community where they can collaborate and share challenges, it has helped build the industry. Governments are now recognizing women’s health innovation as one of the fastest-growing sectors in Canada.

DAN: Do you see part of Femtech’s role as helping companies access venture capital and build financing networks, or is it more like an accelerator model?

RACHEL: We’re not quite an accelerator. We’re focused on building a national initiative that includes advocacy and investor education.

About 12 per cent of companies in our ecosystem have raised funding, and roughly four per cent have raised institutional funding. Despite that, these companies have created more than 1,200 jobs in Canada.

Venture capital has been slower to engage, partly because women’s health lacked visibility and even a defined category. But we’re starting to see more interest, particularly as there have been notable exits and high-growth companies globally. It will take more time to see consistent venture capital participation.

ROGER: Are investors seeing solid returns?

RACHEL: Yes, but it takes time. The femtech category is still relatively new, so we haven’t yet seen a large number of exits or unicorns. There was an exit report released this year at the J.P. Morgan health-care conference, and more data is emerging. Tracking performance is a key part of building credibility in the sector.

ROGER: Where does the government stand right now?

RACHEL: It’s evolving. I was in Ottawa recently advocating for Bill S-243, which proposes a framework for women’s health. Canada has not updated its women’s health strategy since 1999.

We’ve been advocating for about two and a half years. We’re starting to see recognition, but we’re looking for concrete action in areas such as primary care, research, innovation and foreign investment to support women’s health.

ROGER: We’ll have to leave it there. Rachel, thank you for joining us.

RACHEL: Thank you.

ROGER: Rachel Bartholomew is CEO and founder of Femtech Canada.

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This BNN Bloomberg summary and transcript of the Mar. 2, 2026 interview with Rachel Bartholomew are published with the assistance of AI. Original research, interview questions and added context was created by BNN Bloomberg journalists. An editor also reviewed this material before it was published to ensure its accuracy and adherence with BNN Bloomberg editorial policies and standards.