Skills Gap Persists Between Education, Workplace Use

Q: What role does Prelude Health play within Mexico’s femtech industry?
A: Up until a few years ago, femtech was often perceived as a niche industry. Over the past three to four years, that perception has shifted significantly, and today global forums such as Davos recognize women’s health as an economic and societal priority. Research shows that for every dollar invested in women’s health, approximately three dollars are returned to the economy, positioning femtech as both a health and productivity opportunity.

We saw a major opportunity for Mexico to become an active participant and leader in this industry. Femtech is not a niche, as it directly affects more than half of the population and has ripple effects across families, workplaces, and economies. By strengthening women’s health, countries can improve workforce participation, productivity, and long-term health outcomes.

Our goal is to encourage entrepreneurs, universities, academics, and professionals in Mexico to engage with this sector. It is beneficial not only at an individual level, but also as a driver of economic development for the country. Through our work and publications, we aim to show that femtech offers multiple avenues for participation, from research and innovation to business development and cross-sector collaboration.

Q: How does Prelude Health differentiate itself from other femtech and digital health solutions as the hormonal health market expands globally?
A: Prelude Health goal is to develop accessible hormone wellness and education. Our flagship product is Hormony®, an at-home saliva-based hormone tests, which are paired with a mobile application that provides results in about 10 minutes, without the need for a laboratory. Hormony is primarily designed for women between the ages of 30 and 55, a life stage that historically has not been sufficiently studied. This is a critical period, as health awareness during these years is closely associated with long-term wellbeing.

Our cortisol test is a validated, quantitative at-home saliva cortisol test designed for consumer wellness use. It has already been validated in the elite sports world and is used by professional athletes. We drew inspiration from how athletes monitor performance and recovery and adapted that model to help women better understand their hormonal health from home.

Hormony is already available in pharmacies in Asia and will soon be available in Mexico. Through this project, and through collaborations with institutions such as Tecnológico de Monterrey and the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, we also identified the opportunity to strengthen Mexico’s role in femtech more broadly. There are still major knowledge gaps in women’s health. For example, we do not yet fully understand why women experience higher rates of autoimmune conditions or Alzheimer or why many health outcomes differ significantly by sex. These gaps exist largely because women’s health has not been studied comprehensively across life stages. Addressing this represents both a scientific and economic opportunity for Mexico.

Q: What led to the creation of the FemTech México organization, and what is its mission?
A: FemTech México was born from collaborations and the recognition that Mexico has strong foundations, talent, research institutions, and competitive industries, which can support the growth of women’s health innovation. FemTech México is part of a global consortium that includes about 36 femtech organizations across around 70 countries, including Canada, several Asian countries, Portugal, and Spain. Together, we collaborate to create spaces that support companies like Prelude Health through connections, commercial opportunities, knowledge exchange, and ecosystem development. The core focus is collaboration, aiming to build an environment where innovation in women’s health can grow.

Q: What kind of response have you seen in Mexico toward femtech initiatives and hormonal testing?
A: We have seen significant interest and support in Mexico, from both women and men. Women’s health benefits society as a whole, so the conversation is inclusive. Organizations, universities, and associations have joined efforts to help create these spaces. There is strong interest in hormone testing, as people genuinely want better visibility into how their bodies respond to daily life. Mexico is highly familiar with the concept of cortisol, which helps make the conversation around stress and hormonal balance more accessible. We are at a moment where technology adoption is strong, and women are increasingly interested in understanding their health more deeply.

Q: What are the main health challenges women face globally in relation to hormonal health?
A: Globally, women experience a higher burden of poor health outcomes than men, in part because female health is closely linked to hormonal changes throughout life. From adolescence onward, women face more complex physiological transitions.

We see high prevalence of cervical and breast cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, neurological conditions, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, and fertility-related issues. Some of these are widely discussed; others receive less attention, but that does not make them less prevalent. Hormonal fluctuations occur daily, and when women lack information or support, symptoms are often endured rather than better understood.

Q: Why has women’s health historically been underdiagnosed and underresearched?
A: For many years, women were not adequately included in clinical research, a situation that only began to change in the mid-1990s, leaving lasting gaps in how conditions affecting women are understood, identified, and managed. While women live longer than men, they spend on average 25% more of their lives in poor health, creating a disproportionate long-term burden on healthcare systems and families.

Topics such as menopause were often not discussed openly, despite the fact that women spend roughly one-third of their lives in pre- and post-menopause. Eight out of 10 working women go through this stage while still active in the workforce. Poor health during this period affects productivity, family life, and economic participation. Globally, the economic losses associated with untreated menopause-related issues are estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually.

Today, it is estimated that only around 20% of available health and biomedical data reflects Latina, Asian, and Black women, representing a significant opportunity to build more representative datasets, design better-fit solutions, and unlock growth across global women’s health markets. The situation is beginning to change because more data is being collected and more leaders are speaking about these issues. What is not measured cannot be improved.

Q: Why is it so important for women to understand hormonal changes across life stages?
A: The body’s needs change across life stages. Just as adolescence requires adjustments in nutrition, sleep, and emotional support, perimenopause and menopause also require changes. Hormones signal these shifts, but when women are not informed, symptoms can intensify. Specialists often recommend relatively simple measures, such as nutrition adjustments, supplementation, sleep optimization, and lifestyle changes. However, without understanding how these apply to their own bodies, women struggle to implement them effectively. Education and personalized data are key.

Q: What are Prelude Health’s goals in Mexico over the next year?
A: “Our objective is to give women access to both information and their own health data so they can better understand their bodies and have more informed conversations with healthcare professionals. By the end of the year, our goal is to make Hormony available throughout Mexico and place these tools in the hands of more women nationwide.”

Prelude Health provides personalized, accessible tools that allow women to measure, monitor, and manage their hormonal health