Women’s healthcare is broken – I started my business to fix it

Women’s healthcare is in crisis. Headlines about endless waiting lists and a lack of funding are just the tip of the iceberg for women’s health, which has been repeatedly deprioritised.

The rise of “femtech” startups – companies creating technology solutions for women’s health – is addressing these longstanding gaps in the healthcare industry. From fertility tracking to menopause management, femtech companies like my own business, Hormona are largely consumer-centric, empowering women to take control of their health.

Projected to be worth $60 billion by 2027, the growth of the femtech industry reflects a growing awareness of the need for innovation in women’s health. Yet, femtech isn’t a tech trend. It’s a response to the gender health gap that has persisted for decades, and an ongoing conversation about how we treat half of the global population.

Hormonal health, in particular, has been overlooked, despite affecting 80% of women globally. It’s not just a “pain gap”. It’s a systemic failure of which the stakes are personal. Lack of care can result in years of suffering, and lives put on hold; as I know only too well.

“Doctors dismissed my pain as stress”

My own journey into women’s healthcare began out of necessity. In my mid-20s, I found myself battling unexplained depression, brain fog, fatigue, and weight fluctuations. Every morning felt like a battle just to get out of bed.

I saw countless doctors, yet I was routinely dismissed. My symptoms were attributed to “stress”, a story which I know is all too common (one in three women with female health conditions are forced to wait three years or longer for a diagnosis).

The frustration of not knowing what was wrong weighed on me just as heavily as the physical symptoms themselves. It wasn’t until I was finally referred to a specialist that I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, which was the result of a hormonal imbalance.

Within weeks of starting the correct medication and supplements, I felt like myself again, like a cloud had lifted. For the first time in years, I had the energy and optimism to move forward with my life. But it was bittersweet. Why had it taken me so long to get the help I needed?

“Hormona is the solution I wish I’d had”

My experience sparked a passion for learning everything I could about hormones and their impact on women’s lives. I was shocked to discover how prevalent hormone-related conditions, like PCOS and PMDD, receive little attention in mainstream healthcare.

It became clear to me how urgent it was to address hormonal health for women as a topic, and yet I was horrified to find just how underfunded, under-discussed, and underreported it was. This lack of attention needed to be addressed. I knew I had to be part of the solution.

Together with my childhood best friend, Jasmine, we set out to create the solution I wish I’d had in those early days when I was suffering. Hormona was born from that mission: we’re the first end-to-end solution for hormonal health, designed by endocrinology, gynaecology, and nutrition experts that empower women with tools to better understand their hormones.

Our app combines AI-driven insights with daily tracking, giving women a clear picture of how their hormones influence their mood, energy, and overall health.

Our first-of-their-kind at-home tests provide actionable insights that previously required multiple specialist appointments, and we recently launched our first supplement, Hormone Support, formulated to alleviate common hormone-related issues.

“It’s about breaking the cycle”

Today, Hormona is used by women in 185+ countries. We’ve created a community that allows women to manage their hormonal health on their own terms, without the need for constant doctor’s visits or waiting months to get answers.

Our ultimate goal, though, is to break down barriers and continue to make hormonal health accessible to women across the globe, offering personalised and actionable solutions.

We’ve seen how Hormona has already made a difference to the lives of women, with users frequently sharing how Hormona has helped them to identify a hormonal imbalance and enabled them to seek the right treatment. This is the kind of impact that fuels our work.

This isn’t just about tech, either. It’s about breaking the cycle of dismissing women’s health issues, and providing women with the knowledge they need to advocate for their health.

“Femtechs can drive systematic change”

I’ve seen firsthand how woefully inadequate traditional healthcare has been for women’s health, and I firmly believe the femtech industry has the potential to drive systemic change. But it will require more investment, better education, and solutions that put women first.

The term “femtech” is limiting, we’re part of a much wider solution that is working to change a broken industry. Hormonal health isn’t a niche topic, either – we’re all affected, men and women. More than ever, this needs to be at the forefront of medical research and innovation.

To fellow founders in this space, my advice is simple: stay true to your mission statement. Don’t let preconceived ideas about what “femtech” should be limit your ambition. We need bold ideas, fearless execution and urgency. The future of women’s healthcare depends on it.

By Karolina Löfqvist, CEO and co-founder of Hormona

Hormona is a hormone-tracking app and the first end-to-end solution for hormonal health that uses AI and at-home tests to help women optimise their cycles and address women's hormone-related symptoms. It featured in the 2025 Startups 100 Index earlier this year.

Learn more about Hormona