Femtech Fes! "fermata 1st Anniversary Session: The Journey and Current State of Femtech"
As part of "fermata's 1st Anniversary" in October, we presented Femtech Fes! in two parts, featuring a lineup of wonderful guests!
Part 1 welcomed Kristina Cahojova, who created the fertility tracking device "Kegg," to discuss current options for fertility care and evolving technologies.
In Part 2, we interviewed two pioneers of the Japanese femtech market and unveiled the latest femtech market map.
Session 1
Modern Approaches to Fertility: Examining existing options, emerging technologies, and barriers to business in the US, Japan, and Australia
Kristina Cahojova | CEO, Kegg
Kristina Cahojova is a Founder and a women’s health crusader. She holds an economics master degree and a Master of International Management from CEMS. Following her passion for science and reproductive health, she founded kegg, a Femtech company developing solutions that puts women in control of their fertility. Kristina is an alumnus of HAX, the world's largest seed hardware accelerator, which helps entrepreneurs to build successful hardware companies. Formerly at Amazon and eBay, Cahojova brings her understanding of digital sales strategy to now lead kegg — a women’s health technology that will reinvent the way women take charge of their fertility in 2020.
HP: https://kegg.tech/
Dr. Michelle Perugini | Co-Founder & CEO at Presagen
Michelle has a PhD in Medicine and was a stem cell biologist for a decade. She founded her first AI business 10 years ago which was acquired by Ernst and Young in 2015. She is now co-founder and CEO of Presagen which is an AI company that specializes in creating globally scalable image-based medical diagnostics products, using its advanced AI platform. Presagen's first product is Life Whisperer that uses AI to assist clinicians to select viable embryos in IVF to improve outcomes for couples wanting to have children. Michelle is also a dedicated mentor and advisory board member for many startups, and a Committee Member on the Commonwealth Research & Development Incentives Committee.
HP: https://www.lifewhisperer.com/
Amina Sugimoto | Co-Founder & CEO, fermata inc.
Moderator: Lia Camargo | Global Business Manager, fermata inc.
Session 2
「The Future and Challenges of Japan's Femtech Market: The First Year / Latest Market Map Presentation」
Minori Kitahara
Author and representative of Love Peace Club. In 1996, she established "LOVE PEACE CLUB," a sex toy shop from a feminist perspective. She promotes cutting-edge sanitary products, pleasure toys, and femtech. In 2019, she opened "MOOND by LPC," Japan's first femtech shop, at Daimaru Umeda. In 2019, she initiated the Flower Demo to protest sexual violence.
HP: https://www.lovepiececlub.com/
Ayaka Terao
Representative Director, Period. Inc. Born in 1994, 26 years old. In 2016, she joined LOCUS, a venture company specializing in video consulting, as a new graduate. She engaged in video planning for women's products as a creative consultant, then gained experience in public relations. While still employed, she discovered overseas absorbent shorts and, driven by the desire to spread them in Japan, founded Period., Japan's first absorbent sanitary shorts brand, in 2018.
HP: https://period-tokyo.com/
Speaker: Akane
Moderator: Hiroko