b'I nnovatorsandentrepreneursinby Silicon Valley Bank, while overall investment Colorado seek to transform everyfor the health sector increased 28%. aspectofhealthandcareforFemale founders, especially those in life sci-women, with the goal of saving lives by revo- ences, need more funding to grow their com-lutionizing the way diseases impacting womenpanies and more support to reach the C-level. are diagnosed and treated. They are all in to improve womens health, advance criticalWhile women-founded startups accounted for research, and bring more women into the2% or less of VC funding in Europe and the# 1 C-suite. United States in 2023, according to Pitchbook Theyre in good company. In the past 10 years,data, theres movement with deal volume. U.S. startups founded exclusively by women have there has been a 1,000% increase in thegrown their share of deals between 2008 andSTATE number of businesses in this space nationally,2024 from 3.8% to 5.4%. according to Deloitte, and between 2016 and 2022 alone, there were 60% more startupsA 2023 report in Nature magazine indicated that specializing in womens health. women now make up 40% to 50% of employeesfor Women-Led Startups Thats because the world is waking up to theat biotech companies in the United Kingdom,(Merchant Maverick) enormous need to focus on womens health.Europe, and the United States, but the C-suite still lacks gender equality, hovering around 20%. Billions of women go untested for poten- As they break down barriers to bring their tially life-threatening diseases, according to the latest Hologic Global Womens Healthtechnologies to patients, Colorado companyFemale-founded, leaders are challenging perceptions about Index. Research on womens health has longC-level leaders in life sciences.Denver-basedbeen underfunded and understudied. Too many of the medicine dosages, treatments,Inroads for Ovarian AOA Dx is on and medical school textbooks are based on men and their bodies, leading to big gaps inCancer Detection the path to research and development.When ovarian cancer is found early, aboutcommercializeVenture capital investors and executives see94% of patients live longer than five years, growing momentum for a field thats longaccording to the American Cancer Society.oneofthefirstbeen overlooked. Funding has been a chiefEarly detection is a must to improve survivaltrue diagnostic roadblock for biotech companies in devel- rates and help providers make quick and oping drugs or other programs. Investmentinformed decisions. And Denver-based AOA Dxtests in early in womens health companies increased 314%is on the path to commercialize one of the first since 2018, according to a January 2024 reporttrue diagnostic tests in early ovarian cancer.ovarian cancer.AOA Dx chose Colorado, relocating its headquarters from Massachusetts to Denver after the pandemic. Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO, AOA Dx2024-2025 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 17'