Australia launches first women-centric AI health assistant

Australian femtech app Ovum has entered its pilot phase as it looks to transform women's healthcare by addressing systemic gaps with AI-driven, health management.

Developed by Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks, Ovum is set to become Australia's first AI health assistant specifically designed for women. The app aims to generate a pioneering longitudinal dataset to enhance treatments and diagnostics for women, addressing a long-standing gap in healthcare.

Ovum stands out by offering a holistic health management approach. While over 3.3 million Australian women use apps for reproductive health and fertility, Ovum is unique in its comprehensive focus on women's health at every stage of life. Dr Heffernan-Marks remarked on the milestone, expressing her delight in reaching this significant point in improving women's healthcare in Australia. She noted the systemic underfunding and under-representation in women's health and outlined her vision of creating an accessible, women-centred resource.

The app, developed over four years, integrates and stores a wide range of medical records, including blood tests, imaging reports, and referrals. It also features interactive functions for users to ask questions and track health issues. This comprehensive data repository is crucial, especially for complex or chronic conditions, where diagnosis can take years. For example, it often takes five years to diagnose a general health condition and between seven and twelve years for endometriosis.

Dr Heffernan-Marks highlighted the importance of ensuring that the AI is women-centric and draws from a diverse dataset to avoid perpetuating existing biases in healthcare outcomes. Privacy and security are also prioritised, with users not required to provide identifiable personal details, ensuring trust and data protection.

Ovum's advisory board includes distinguished figures such as Associate Professor Susan Evans, a gynaecologist and pain physician, Associate Professor Amanda Henry, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and Andy Timms, the managing director of Nakatomi. Associate Professor Evans expressed her support, noting the app's potential to address under-researched and under-managed areas like pelvic pain.

Femtech is a rapidly growing sector, with expectations to reach USD $108 billion by 2032, alongside generative AI projected to be worth USD $2 trillion by 2030. Ovum taps into these burgeoning markets, promising significant benefits for women across Australia. Victoria Denholm, CEO of Wollemi Capital Group and early investor in Ovum, praised Dr Heffernan-Marks for her passion and vision for female healthcare.

Backing from Nakatomi, an award-winning Australian venture studio, played a crucial role in developing Ovum from concept to minimum viable product. Anna Hunt, former Google creative lead and now strategic business developer for Ovum, also commended Dr Heffernan-Marks' commitment to addressing systemic issues in women's health and expressed enthusiasm for the launch of the pilot phase.

Dr Heffernan-Marks' academic and professional background underpins Ovum's development. She holds a Doctor of Medicine from Macquarie University and has a specialised background in reproductive biology and embryology. Her efforts have earned her multiple accolades, including the TOW Randwick Innovation Precinct People’s Choice Award and the LIFTwomen Best Project Award, which provided USD $20,000 to support Ovum's crowdfunding journey.

As Ovum enters its pilot phase, Dr Heffernan-Marks calls for women to participate in testing, emphasising the importance of feedback to refine the app further. She remains committed to improving health outcomes for women across Australia, ensuring that their health concerns are taken seriously and addressed adequately.