GC Insight recently completed a study examining the economic opportunities presented by FemTech in Scotland. The FemTech sector includes all innovations designed to solve health issues suffered solely, differently, or disproportionately by women. It covers everything from pregnancy through to menopause, as well as as diseases such as Alzheimer's.  

In our research, we found that the terminology can be a barrier, and the perception of women’s health as a difficult or taboo subject can seriously impact on enterprise. However, we also found that many businesses are operating in the field, producing exciting innovations and generating income.

These businesses often do not show up in official figures or even consider themselves as being involved in FemTech. There are also businesses that are ideally positioned to pivot to Femtech and diversify their products, services and markets.

This ungated CNBC article picks up on these points, and examines why there is a persistent tendency for investors to ignore this potentially lucrative opportunity to create value as well as deliver benefits to women across the globe. Potential solutions are varied, starting with more female investors and more male investors who do not shy away from words like menstruation and menopause.

A more diverse investor profile overall has the potential to create more opportunities for more entrepreneurs. Or, is this a sector that women will want to keep to themselves, as innovators and business leaders, to grow the female investment community and turn a tidy profit in the process? The solution is likely to be a combination, and of course we should be looking to support a much more diverse investor profile overall.

Or maybe it’s something that women should keep to themselves – as the sector is estimated to be worth $1 trillion in the next few years.