International Womens Day 2024 an interview with Ida Tin

In this interview, we speak with Ida Tin (Clue; Berlin, Germany) about her work in female health technology. Ida explores the motivations, challenges and opportunities she has experienced while pursuing a career in science, and discusses specific initiatives that she believes could enhance and support the work of women in their scientific careers.

Please could you provide a brief overview of your career to date?

My journey has been marked by a diverse range of experiences, starting from leading motorcycle tours worldwide for Moto Mundo (Copenhagen, Denmark), a company I co-founded with my dad. After exploring the world and penning my adventures in a book titled "Directress," I ventured into the realm of female health technology. As the co-founder and former CEO, now chairwoman of Clue (Berlin, Germany), I have spearheaded the development of the most trusted female health app, with over 10 million active users in more than 190 countries. My career reflects a commitment to entrepreneurship, feminism, and leveraging technology to make a positive impact.

What motivated you to pursue a career in science and how have you overcome challenges along the way?

My motivation to delve into Femtech arose from a realization of the stagnant landscape in women's health innovation, particularly in family planning. The challenges I encountered, whether leading motorcycle tours or navigating the male-dominated tech industry, have required a lot of resilience and determination. It has been a hard journey at times. For me the purpose has always been the fuel.

Are there specific areas within your field where you see opportunities for more women to make significant contributions?

In the field of Femtech, I see abundant opportunities for women to contribute significantly. Areas such as using our data set to understand diagnosis gaps, which is work that Clue is doing right now, hold immense potential for female scientists to bring innovation and inclusivity to the scientific community.

How important has mentorship been in your scientific career, and have you had any notable mentors or role models who influenced your journey?

Honestly mentors have not played as big as role as I think they could have. I have always relied on many people for important conversations, but never in really formalized, or even unformalized mentor relationships. My biggest mentor, not in work life but in life generally was dead before I was born. The writer Anais Nin, one of the first female writers to describe women’s inner lives and sexuality. She had an incredible ability to see humans deeply, and see culture’s big patterns. She has followed me for 25 years and I still learn from her.

Are there specific policies or initiatives that you believe could enhance and support the work of women in scientific careers?

I am so encouraged to see the big players starting to be aware of female health: The White House’s female health initiative, the NHS’s focus on women’s health, the UN’s program to close the $12 trillion yearly investment gap in women, and McKinsey’s recent report on the missed opportunities in investing into women’s health. I hope we get adequate regulation around AI, so that data can be leveraged in ethical acceptable ways, and we will have a clear framework that levels competition.

What was/is most inspiring to you about your journey in founding your company - Clue?

The inspiration behind founding Clue stemmed from witnessing the lack of innovation in women's health, especially family planning, since the introduction of the Pill in the late '50s. Clue aims to empower women globally by leveraging technology to provide comprehensive insights into reproductive health. The prospect of making a lasting impact in this space continues to drive and inspire me, aligning with my commitment to Femtech, leadership, technology, and systems change. Interviewee profile:

Ida Tin is the co-founder and former CEO, now chairwoman, of Clue (Berlin, Germany) the most trusted female health app. Clue has more than ten million active users in over 190 countries, and is one of the most popular apps in the “Health & Fitness” category in the US, Germany, UK, Brazil, France, Mexico and many other countries. Clue’s mission is to help people all around the world benefit from insights into female health. A lifelong entrepreneur and a modern feminist, Ida coined the term ‘Femtech’ in 2016. Ida has been interviewed or featured in major media including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Forbes, Der Spiegel (Hamburg, Germany) and Le Figaro (France). She was also a speaker at prestigious conferences such as TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco (CA, USA), LeWeb in Paris (France), Forbes Most Powerful Women in Montreal (Canada), Slush in Helsinki (Finland) and many more. Before starting Clue, Ida led motorcycle tours around the world for 5 years in the motorcycle touring company MotoMundo that she cofounded with her dad, Hjalte Tin. She guided tours in Mongolia, Cuba and Vietnam, amongst other destinations. Ida attended various art schools in South Africa and London and graduated in 2004 from the progressive social entrepreneurship Bachelor of Administration program in The KaosPilots in Denmark. Ida currently lives in Berlin and has two children. She is now working on a new book about Femtech, leadership, technology and system’s change. She is an active voice in the Femtech space. Disclaimers:The opinions expressed in this feature are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of Future Medicine AI Hub or Future Science Group.