Words by Isabel O’Brien
Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) has launched the Innovator’s Circle, a new network designed to accelerate early-stage investment in women’s health. The initiative brings together 20 leading funds focused on women’s health, aiming to tackle the historic underfunding of the sector.
Carolee Lee, CEO and Founder, WHAM, said: “The Innovator’s Circle is more than a network – it’s a platform to accelerate groundbreaking ideas into market-ready solutions. By aligning early-stage investors with later-stage capital partners – we’re unlocking exponential opportunity for returns-and real health impact.”
The founding members include funds such as AHA Go Red for Women Venture Fund, Amboy Street Ventures and March of Dimes, among others. Together, they aim to identify potential breakthroughs and strengthen the women’s health funding ecosystem through targeted investment and collaboration.
Naseem Sayani, a recognised leader in women’s health ventures, will serve as Director of the Innovator’s Circle. “This is the pipeline engine,” said Sayani. “The Innovator’s Circle brings together the investors best positioned to recognise early innovation and builds the bridge to capital scale.”
Despite women representing half of the global population and making the majority of healthcare decisions, companies focused on women’s health receive just 2% of healthcare venture capital funding, states the press release. WHAM and the Innovator’s Circle aim to change this by advancing the capital, connectivity and coordination needed to transform outcomes.
The Innovator’s Circle will focus on areas with significant unmet need, including cardiovascular disease, neuroscience and autoimmune disorders. It will work closely with WHAM’s multibillion-dollar investment partners through the WHAM Investment Collaborative, aiming to build a more aligned funding pipeline and spotlight emerging trends.
The new network is part of WHAM’s integrated innovation ecosystem. Other collaboratives include the WHAM Research Collaborative, a global network accelerating sex-based research, and the WHAM Life Sciences Collaborative, which promotes the inclusion of sex-based biology in drug development.
Carolee Lee, who founded WHAM in 2020, has positioned the organisation as a “neutral convener” for leaders across sectors. WHAM’s initiatives span from laboratory research to real-world implementation, with a focus on creating sustainable impact and improving health outcomes for women.
For more information on the Innovator’s Circle, click here.
