Female Entrepreneurs Innovate to Close Women’s Health Care Gap

A growing sector of the tech industry is dedicated to improving women’s health, with female-led companies creating devices specifically designed to track women’s health.

Bloomer Tech, co-founded by Alicia Chong Rodriguez, developed the Bloomer Bra, an undergarment with sensors that track health information to detect and combat heart disease in women.

“We collect data to detect arrhythmia triggers, breathing patterns, temperature, posture, and movement,” said Chong Rodriguez. “These symptoms often get dismissed or unrecognized.”

The data syncs with a cellphone app, enabling the wearer to share information with her doctor. Bloomer Tech seeks FDA approval for the bra as a medical device.

“Most data collected has been predominantly male,” Chong Rodriguez explained. “We needed data from women to build better tools for early detection and treatment of heart disease.”

Over 60 million women in the U.S. have heart disease, according to the CDC. However, a 2018 study by the American Heart Association showed women receive lower levels of care than men.

This gap has driven more female entrepreneurs to create technology for women.

Maayan Cohen, CEO of Hello Heart, designed a monitor to track blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and activity. The data is sent in real time to an app, available through some employer health plans.

“We have AI-based digital coaching that helps you improve your health in real time, along with risk alerts to catch issues early,” Cohen said.

For these women, the mission is personal.

“My grandma died of a heart attack when I was 13,” said Chong Rodriguez. “We need better tools, and now we can do something about it.”