Meet the health tech trailblazers from Inc.’s Female Founder 500

This week, Inc. released one of the most prestigious who’s who in business lists: The Female Founder 500. Thousands of entries were submitted. To enter, applicants had to share company demographic information (revenue, growth metrics, headcount) as well as respond to questions about their accomplishments in the past year, including how the company excelled and what the applicant has specifically achieved as a leader. Three rounds of judges reviewed applications, verified all metrics, and scanned media coverage to make the final decisions. It’s no small feat to make this list. 

Help celebrate some of the most impressive women working in health technology who were featured in the Female Founder 500! 

• Alice Crisci, Ovum Health, is developing a precision medicine model to reverse chronic health conditions that impact fertility and is launching an AI-enabled platform offering 24/7 support. 

• Anna Believantseva, Esper Bionics, raised $5 million to scale production of the bionic prosthetic, Espher Hand, and donated over 100 to Ukrainian soldiers in need. 

• Anne Fulenwider, Alloy Women’s Health, is driving accessible menopause care and secured $16 million in Series A funding. 

• Georgia Gaveras, Talkiatry, partnered with Biogen to enhance postpartum depression care through telehealth psychoeducation, adding specialized geriatric services and securing $130 million in Series C funding. 

• Grace Chang, Kintsugi, developed an AI-based voice biomarker platform which detects depression and anxiety after 20 seconds of speech and is scaling globally to grow patient screening by 5,000%. 

• Jennifer Schneider, Homeward, developed a technology platform to connect rural Americans with the services they need.

• Halle Tecco and Lauren Makler, Cofertility, achieved an 80% year-over-year increase in matches between egg donors and intended parents. 

• Jessica Schaefer, Lushi, developed a generative AI- app linking patients undergoing egg freezing and IVF to support services and raised $5 million in pre-seed funding.

• Kate Ryder, Maven Clinic, is building the largest virtual health platform in the world for women, with a network of over 850 medical professionals, working with thousands of businesses and Medicaid recipients. 

• Kristen Valdes, b.Well, raised $40 million in series C funding for a digital health platform that creates one place for patients and providers to access health data, solutions, and services.

• Maayan Cohen, Hello Heart, helped Americans manage heart disease risk with the world’s first connected heart monitor, and grew revenue by tens of millions of dollars. 

• Nicoletta Tessler, BeMe Health, delivered mental health interventions to teens and young adults with their mobile app and increased the 6-month retention rate by 86% year over year. 

• Priyanka Jain, Evvy, developed a consumer-access peer-reviewed vaginal health test and is building the world’s largest vaginal microbiome data set for research.

• Rebekah E. Gee and Rebecca Kavoussi, Nest Health, are advanced health equity, and have improved patient outcomes, and lowered costs by offering home care visits. 

• Tammy Sun and Asima Ahmad from Carrot were selected for addressing critical maternal care gaps for their patients via digital support, resulting in a 44% reduction in preterm births. 

• Toyin Ajayi, Cityblock Health, is advancing equitable healthcare access and driving care costs down in low-income communities through both in-person and virtual care across 100,000 members in 7 states.

The women in health technology recognized in Inc.’s Female Founder 500 are redefining the future of healthcare. Women receive 2-3% of venture capital funding and a portion of these founders represent that elite club. Each of their groundbreaking work in developing innovative solutions not only challenges the status quo but also empowers individuals and communities to take control of their health. These women are paving the way for a more accessible, efficient, and equitable healthcare system. As we look ahead, the impact of these visionary leaders will continue to inspire and drive change, making healthcare more inclusive for all.

Katie D. McMillan, MPH is the CEO of Well Made Health, LLC, a business strategy consulting firm for health technology companies. She is also a curious researcher and writer focusing on digital health evidence, healthcare innovation, and women’s health. Katie can be reached at [email protected] or LinkedIn.