Plus: Opal Therapeutics scales its “uterus in a dish” drug discovery with a $1.25M NSF award, Akeso doses first patient in Phase II breast cancer study, and a Cochrane review finds no clear evidence common IVF techniques improve success.
Cross-Border Impact Ventures has raised US$58m at its first close for its Children’s Health Technology Fund II, targeting a total of US$125m by 2027 to invest in Series A and B companies developing medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and AI-enabled digital health technologies for conditions affecting women and children. This capital infusion arrives as Opal Therapeutics scales its $1.25 million patient-derived gynecologic drug screening platform, addressing the shortage of human-relevant preclinical models in drug discovery. This investment focus on innovative tech and models suggests a shift for clinical stakeholders towards data-driven interventions for women's health. Five takes inside, plus a quick-hits roundup.
VIA FemTech World
Cross-Border Impact Ventures has raised US$58m at its first close for its Children’s Health Technology Fund II, targeting a total of US$125m. The fund will invest in Series A and B companies developing medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and AI-enabled digital health technologies for conditions affecting women and children. Its predecessor fund, which raised US$90.3m, invested in 11 technology companies, reaching over 356,000 women and children across 32 countries. This investment highlights continued capital flow into companies addressing women’s and children’s health.
Read the full story →
— The Luteal Editorial Team
VIA FemTech Insider
Opal Therapeutics received a $1.25 million National Science Foundation SBIR Phase II award. The biotech company will scale its patient-derived gynecologic drug screening platform, which includes a "uterus in a dish" platform. This addresses the shortage of human-relevant preclinical models and shortfalls in rodent studies for drug discovery. Investors should note this funding supports innovation in gynecologic drug development.
Read the full story →
— The Luteal Editorial Team
VIA FemTech Insider
Cross-Border Impact Ventures secured $58 million for the first close of its second Women’s and Children’s Health Technology Fund. KfW and the Skoll Foundation committed to the fund. The Toronto-based health-tech venture capital firm targets a $125 million final close by 2027 and backs Series A stage companies. This funding creates new investment opportunities for femtech operators.
Read the full story →
— The Luteal Editorial Team
VIA PR Newswire Health
Akeso announced on August 10, 2026, it dosed the first patient in a Phase II clinical study (AK146D1-202) evaluating AK146D1 for breast cancer. AK146D1 is the company's internally developed TROP2/Nectin-4 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate. This development could expand treatment options for patients with breast cancer.
Read the full story →
— The Luteal Editorial Team
VIA FemTech World
A Cochrane review of 11 studies involving 2,524 women undergoing embryo transfer found no reliable evidence that common IVF preparation techniques (adjusting bladder fullness, removing cervical mucus, and afterloading) improve pregnancy rates. Only around one in three embryo transfers results in pregnancy, and researchers rated the evidence as low or very low certainty due to small trials and methodological weaknesses. This suggests fertility clinics may need to re-evaluate common embryo transfer protocols.
Read the full story →
— The Luteal Editorial Team