Ida Tin: The mother of the $38 billion FemTech sector, challenging gender bias

I had the pleasure of meeting the brilliant Ida Tin, the mother of the FemTech industry and co-founder and former CEO and chairwoman of Clue – one of the most trusted female and FDA-approved health apps with over 10 million active users across 190 countries.

Ida’s story began with a simple yet powerful idea: to create a language that would unify and legitimise the emerging field of female health technology. By coining the term “FemTech,” she not only validated a sector often stigmatised but also brought together startups focused on women’s health, drawing attention to the broader cultural shift towards recognising this vital area.

Despite the challenges of gender bias in venture capital, Ida’s determination led to securing over $70 million in funding, a rare feat for female-led tech startups. Her journey with Clue, inspired by the potential of the iPhone for tracking intimate data, aimed to make family planning data-driven.

Throughout our discussion, Ida reflected on the immersive journey of building tech startups and the idea of creating ventures without the pressures of investor oversight. Her insights offer a thoughtful perspective on the challenges and fulfilment of building a meaningful business in a male-centric industry.

Join us in this thoughtful conversation now.

* This conversation was recorded in 2024, before I decided to launch the podcast. Yet the talking points are so relevant to today’s hype-driven AI world that I felt the episode needed to be revived and included in the CEOR debates. It also demonstrates the reality that AI has not really changed much. It’s my counterparts behind the technology who keep on moving the goalposts.