Cross-Border Impact Ventures raises $58M for women's health fund 💰
Cross-Border Impact Ventures has reached a first close of $58M toward a $125M target for its Children's Health Technology Fund II, focused on Series A and B companies developing medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics and AI-enabled digital health for conditions that affect women and children specifically, differently or disproportionately. Backers include KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Skoll Foundation with Capricorn Investment Group, Ceniarth and Equality Fund with RockCreek Group.
“Women’s and children’s health is one of the largest and most attractive opportunities in healthcare today. This is a true blue sky opportunity, one where competition remains limited, and the potential to generate outsized returns is significant. Fund I validated our investment strategy, and Fund II allows us to build on that momentum at a time when the market is ripe for investment.”
— Annie Thériault, Managing Partner, Cross-Border Impact Ventures
Winona launches its first supplement line to extend menopause care beyond HRT 🌸
Austin-based physician-led menopause telehealth platform Winona has launched its first branded supplement range, positioning menopause not just as a hormonal moment to manage but as a critical window for long-term disease prevention. The supplements are designed to complement HRT or serve as an alternative layer of support for women who cannot or choose not to use hormone therapy - targeting muscle, bone, metabolism, sleep and gut health across the menopause transition.
“As leaders in HRT, we know how transformative the right care can be for women navigating menopause, and launching supplements is a natural evolution of that. Expanding beyond hormone therapy offers our patients a more complete, holistic toolkit for their health. Every product has been created for women 35+ and built to the same standard of quality our patients have come to expect. This is a major milestone for Winona and, more importantly, for the women we serve.”
— Ashlie Beiter, Co-Founder and VP of Marketing, Winona
Opal Therapeutics secures $1.25M NSF award to scale uterine organoid platform for endometriosis and fibroid research 🔬
San Francisco-based Opal Therapeutics has received a $1.25M SBIR Phase II award from the National Science Foundation to expand its "uterus in a dish" platform - a patient-derived organoid system that enables drug screening on real human uterine tissue. Opal will use the funding to scale its organoid manufacturing, expand imaging and inflammation assays, and build a predictive uterine data atlas pairing patient tissue data with computational analysis.
“We are entering a new era in women’s health, with exciting scientific and commercial momentum behind the development of new therapies. What’s been missing is a real bridge between big ideas and what actually helps patients. That’s the piece Opal is building. Real human uterine tissue models that let scientists see earlier which drugs are worth betting on and get those to the clinic with more confidence.”
— Morgan Stanton, CEO, Opal Therapeutics
Papcup and Peripear each land £75K from Innovate UK's Women in Innovation programme 🧬
Two UK women's health startups have each secured £75,000 in non-dilutive funding from Innovate UK. Papcup, founded by Sânziana Foia, is developing an at-home electrochemical biosensor that analyses menstrual blood to detect conditions including iron deficiency and cervical cancer. Peripear, founded by midwife Nina van Schaick, is an automated perineal thermotherapy wearable that provides hands-free warmth during childbirth to help prevent tearing - with a first-in-human study planned at Singapore's National University Hospital System in 2027.
Tyros Biopharma expands women's health portfolio with four new products in 2026 💊
Montreal-based Tyros Biopharma has added four new products to its range this year: Gynatrof MenoControl, Uriexo Control+, Uriexo Attack+ and Uriexo CystiRelief+, expanding its offering across vaginal, vulvar and urinary health. Founded in 2011, the company focuses on conditions that are often underdiscussed or overlooked, supporting women across reproductive years, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause.
"Menopause affects millions of women, yet too many continue to navigate it without enough support. At TD, we believe progress starts with understanding people’s experiences. That's why we're proud to support Sinai Health's research to help address an area of women's health that has been overlooked for too long."
— Anna Iacobelli, Senior Vice President, Metro West Region, TD Bank Group
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