Fake Science in Femtech: 3 Ways to Spot Red Flags Before You Buy
Too many startups use the language of science without its rigor. Here’s how to separate evidence-based innovation from marketing dressed as medicine.
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I was talking to a founder this week, and she said something that made me laugh out loud....but not because it was funny.
“A clinical trial is not a Google Form,” she said.
It was one of those lines that lands hard because it names something we’ve all sensed. In women’s health, too many products are built on shaky ground but dressed up to look like science.
And the people most harmed by it? Women themselves.
But here’s what that throwaway line actually reveals about a much bigger problem.
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The Problem: Snake Oil in a Lab Coat
A growing number of femtech startups use the language of science without its discipline. They say they are evidence-based but the “evidence” is a Typeform survey.
They talk about “clinical outcomes,” but there is no control group, no comparator arm, no standardization. Just a deck full of feelings and a well-designed landing page.
This isn’t just misleading. It’s a market distortion. Because when pseudo-scientific solutions dominate the landscape, they:
Erode trust among consumers
Crowd out serious, research-based founders
Confuse the market about what rigorous innovation in women’s health actually looks like
The Stakes: A Market That Can’t Tell the Difference
When consumers buy into junk science:
They waste time and money
They believe they’ve “tried everything”
They lose faith in the idea that women’s health is even solvable
And when that happens, founders doing real science lose ground. They’ve done the hard work; clinical trials, regulatory prep, mechanistic research. But they get lumped into the same bucket as vaginal steaming kits and cortisol gummies.
I once reviewed a deck claiming a product was “clinically proven.” The fine print? Thirty-four survey responses collected via email after a product launch event.
If you’re a founder doing things properly, that’s not just frustrating. It’s corrosive. Because it sets the wrong expectations in the market on timelines, outcomes, and trust.
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What to Look For: A Simple 3-Part Decoder
If you want to tell the difference between real science and spin, start here:
1. Study ≠ Science
Was it randomized? Was it controlled? Peer-reviewed? Or was it just a before-and-after self-report with no comparator group?
2. Claims ≠ Credibility
“Clinically proven” is a marketing phrase. Ask for endpoints, not adjectives. Is the effect size real? Is it replicable?
3. Trendy ≠ Trustworthy
Not every TikTok-friendly topic solves a clinical need. And the ones that do often require solving a biological mechanism not just changing behaviour.
What Actually Endures
The most enduring models in women’s health aren’t always the loudest. They are often buried in less glamorous places: vaginal atrophy, uterine diagnostics, hormonal assays.
But they are building real IP, solving real pain, and earning long-term credibility through evidence. That’s where trust is built and sustained.
👀 Next Week: A Founder Doing It Right
Next Thursday, I’ll introduce you to Sabrina Johnson CEO of Dare Bioscience.
She has built one of the few publicly listed women’s health companies, and she did it the hard way: molecule by molecule, trial by trial.
Want to Learn How to Spot the Real Thing?
Join the waitlist for my Investor Readiness Program.
We teach you how to assess credibility in women’s health startups so you can make smarter, evidence-informed decisions in your role as a supporter, builder, or funder.
👉 Join the waitlist for the Investor Readiness Program here
Join Our Network
Are you building or backing similarly credible, under-the-radar solutions in women’s health?
We want to hear from you. Reach out privately or reply to this post. FHV curates brands and breakthroughs that deserve broader attention in the women’s health ecosystem.
Coming in July 2025:
🎧 Blindspot Capital: The Podcast
Formerly FemmeHealth Founders, our podcast relaunches this summer under a sharper lens and a bolder name. Blindspot Capital explores the undercurrents shaping health innovation from the deals that stall to the systems that silence. This season, we speak to the people shifting what gets seen, funded, and scaled. Confirmed guests include:
Ida Tin (Clue, FemTech Assembly) on founding the femtech category
Lisa Suennen (Venture Partner & Healthtech strategist) on how institutional capital moves.
Sabrina Johnson (CEO Daré Biosciences) on what it takes to build a publicly listed women’s health company
👉 Subscribe to Blindspot Capital wherever you get your podcasts, or listen directly on Substack.
I write weekly at FemmeHealth Ventures Alliance about capital, care, and the future of overlooked markets. If you are building, backing, or allocating in this space, I’d love to connect.
Disclaimer & Disclosure
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or medical advice, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. Opinions expressed are those of the author and may not reflect the views of affiliated organisations. Readers should seek professional advice tailored to their individual circumstances before making investment decisions. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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