February 2024 "Femtech Fes!" to be held - A turning point for the femtech market in Japan and Asia

fermata Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Amina Sugimoto; hereinafter "fermata"), a company that solves and supports women's wellness issues, will hold the "Femtech Fes!" (Femtech Fes!), an exhibition, sales, and experiential event for femtech products and services, at Roppongi Academyhills for three days from Friday, February 9 to Sunday, February 11, 2024.

*This event was previously announced to be held in September 2023, but due to various circumstances, the dates have been changed to February 2024.

About "Femtech Fes!"

"Femtech Fes!" is an event that brings together all stakeholders involved in the femtech market, including the general public, those involved in medical healthcare, business professionals, educational institutions, and government agencies. The venue will be filled with excitement, creating an atmosphere that condenses the Japanese and Asian femtech industries. This event, which held its first session in 2019, fermata's first year of operation when the word femtech was not yet widely known in Japan, will be held in person for the fourth time. Last year, in 2022, the third event, showcased 200 products and services from 33 countries in 6 regions worldwide, and approximately 2,900 people participated over three days. In addition, fermata utilized its domestic and international network to attract many femtech entrepreneurs from overseas. It became a hot topic both domestically and internationally as "the world's largest femtech event."

The Direction fermata and "Femtech Fes!" Aim For

Since its establishment, fermata has been developing its femtech business with the vision of "until your taboos turn into excitement," aiming to create a society where not only women but all people can live more easily. What we at fermata aim for is a society where products and services currently grouped under the term or concept of "femtech" are so commonplace that consumers can readily access them, without the need to specifically categorize them as "femtech."

In recent years, as the term and concept of "femtech" have gained attention and become more widely known in Japan, opportunities for this term to be used as a mere buzzword or superficial advertising and promotion have also increased. If this situation accelerates, it could lead to a situation where not only consumers but also companies considering new businesses become unsure about whether to enter the market.

As the femtech market grows, we want consumers to feel secure using femtech products and services, and we also want to consider the ideal state of this market together with consumers, businesses, medical and healthcare professionals, educational institutions, government agencies, and the media. To contribute to this, we will implement the following initiatives at this "Femtech Fes!":

① Change in organizational structure

While fermata Inc. has been solely responsible for organizing the event, the February 2024 event will be operated by an executive committee. This will strengthen the governance of the event itself and structurally ensure fairness in this market.

② Introduction of pharmaceutical review for exhibitors

One of the crucial issues for consumers to use products and services in the healthcare and wellness domain with peace of mind is the problem of advertising expressions related to the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act. The femtech market is no exception; some businesses have been called out, leading to a situation that cannot be overlooked. Until now, fermata has discussed advertising expressions for femtech products with manufacturers to the extent that we have noticed issues. This time, we will further strengthen this system, and all exhibiting companies will undergo fermata's unique pharmaceutical review in collaboration with experts. We aim to create an event and market where both companies and general consumers can feel even more secure.

③ From an event where you "get information" to an event where you can "participate in market creation"

At previous "Femtech Fes!" events, fermata has provided visitors with a wealth of femtech information from both Japan and abroad. However, we have also received many comments from customers such as, "While I gained a lot of input at the venue, I felt alone and frustrated with my unchanging daily life after returning home." This year, we are designing content with the aim of giving visitors a greater sense of participating in market creation, so that each individual can leave feeling that they are "participating in the market" and "creating the market."

In addition, we plan to hold an awards ceremony to acknowledge those who have contributed to the healthy development of the market, invite international entrepreneurs who are leading the global femtech market to Japan, and host a presentation for a femtech IoT product that has been approved for launch in Japan as a general medical device after four years of persistent effort.

Teaser page launched

A teaser page is currently live, allowing you to see the concept as preliminary information.

https://hellofermata.com/pages/femtechfes2402

Seeking Sponsoring Companies

We are also looking for sponsoring companies to work with fermata to shape the market for the February event. The deadline is scheduled for around autumn, so please contact us early.

Regarding Media Coverage and Media Partner Cooperation

We believe that the dissemination of accurate information by the media is indispensable for shaping the market. We are seeking media outlets interested in covering the event and those willing to cooperate as media partners.

For information on admission and other details, please look forward to future announcements!