New technology being developed by a Singaporean startup called Biorithm will change the face of pregnancy care, ensuring there is no unnecessary loss of mothers and infants. The company released Femom, a portable monitoring device designed to enable women to monitor pregnancy from their homes. This transmitter sends the fetal and maternal heart rate in real-time to the health care provider through a connected mobile application, thus making it easier for clinicians to monitor vital health metrics remotely.
According to WHO statistics, nearly 800 women died every day in 2020 due to preventable causes related to pregnancy, while in 2022 more than 2 million babies died in their first 20 days of life. According to WHO reports, the need for better access to maternal care especially in low- and middle-income countries is strongly represented. Biorithm focuses on the very important aspect of this fact by equipping women with know-how at home so that they require fewer hospital visits to manage their health. The Femom device is designed for ease of use, even by those without medical training. It takes only 20 to 30 minutes to monitor, has simple instructions by referring to the navel as a point of insertion, and the device will capture electrical signals from the abdomen transmitting to clinicians in order to analyze. This non-invasive solution can be used during contractions, enabling timely interventions when needed.
Biorithm’s CTO and co-founder, Amrish Nair, noted that current maternal healthcare systems are often focused on treating illness rather than maintaining overall health. The company’s goal is to shift this approach, providing technology that allows women to receive care in their own homes. “It’s no longer in the hospital, but empowering women to be able to receive care in the place of their choosing,” Nair explained.
The Femom device is under clinical research, and the company plans to enter the U.S. and Southeast Asia soon. Biorithm, a spinoff from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, raised $3.5 million in Series A funding in 2023 with the support of government agency Enterprise Singapore and venture capital firms. This funding is directed toward further development of Femom and scaling the business internationally.
Despite funding challenges for women’s health technology, Biorithm is sanguine about the shift. Said Nair, “Women’s focus health innovations are really gaining support-a sea change.” He added, “Now, the company has investors who are women-led funds.”.
