Expo City Dubai Hosts Region's First Femtech Hackathon

Expo City Dubai, the legacy city of Expo 2020 Dubai, hosted the region’s first femtech hackathon in April, with it bringing together developers, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and students to build tech-based solutions for women’s health. 

Covering areas such as fertility, reproductive care, mental health, and menopause, the event challenged participants to explore how technology can better support women across all life stages. From over 100 initial proposals, 40 students aged 16 to 18 from 23 UAE schools were selected to join the 48-hour, high-intensity event. 

MenoCare took first place at the hackathon after having built a biosensor patch that tracks estrogen levels through sweat, paired with an app to help women manage menopause. The second place went to Bump2Baby, which designed a wearable artificial intelligence (AI)-powered band for monitoring fetal health in underserved regions. Clove, an AI skincare assistant tailored to hormonal changes, earned third place. 

A fourth project, Smart Compact Mirror for Women’s Safety, received an honorable mention, which will see it undergo further development through a three-month incubation program with PeriCare to support design refinement, pitch development, and market strategy—all while she keeps full ownership of her intellectual property. 

A scene from the femtech hackathon. Image courtesy Expo City Dubai.

The femtech hackathon, which was held at Expo City Dubai’s Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with the Dubai-based femtech startup PeriCare and Dubai-based scientific advisory firm NextGen of Immunology Consultancy, aimed to position young women at the center of innovation in healthcare and wellbeing. With guidance from industry experts and feedback from a judging panel, the teams developed smart, practical solutions that combined medical knowledge with cultural sensitivity. 

In a statement, Maha Gorton, Head of Women’s Pavilion, Expo City Dubai, said, “The femtech hackathon demonstrated the remarkable potential of young talent when equipped with the right guidance and opportunity. Over just one weekend, these students addressed complex challenges in women’s health with innovation, empathy and determination. Their work marks a promising step forward in shaping a more inclusive and forward-thinking future for healthcare.” 

Perihan Abouzeid, founder of PeriCare, added, “The femtech hackathon was born from our belief that the future of women’s health is a conversation we must have now—it’s now or never. We saw Gen Z as the bold, purpose-driven leaders best equipped to lead it, and we couldn’t have found a better partner than the Women’s Pavilion to bring this vision to life.” 

The event's organizers now plan to expand the initiative with additional hackathons and long-term programming to support a regional femtech ecosystem. Such efforts align with Expo City Dubai’s broader goals of inclusivity and innovation, as well as the Women’s Pavilion’s mission to elevate women’s voices across sectors.