Ovum raises US$4 million to build AI health data platform for women

Ovum has raised US$4 million in seed funding to expand its AI-based women’s health platform and develop a longitudinal data set focused on women’s health.

The Melbourne-based company, founded by Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks, is building a platform that brings together health information such as symptoms, lifestyle, biometrics, reproductive health stages, medication, appointments, and medical reports. Ovum uses that information to identify patterns over time, generate health summaries, and prepare questions that users can take into clinical appointments.

Funding follows early growth

The seed round was led by Admiralty Capital Group, with participation from Antler, Giant Leap, Aviron Investments, Foggy Valley Aotearoa, Brisbane Angels, and Think & Grow. LaunchVic also increased its investment through The Alice Anderson Fund.

The new funding will support hiring and the expansion of Ovum’s women’s health data set. The company said it has tripled its valuation since raising US$1.7 million in pre-seed funding a year earlier.

Since launching in August 2025, Ovum has grown 30% month-on-month and recorded more than 20,000 downloads. The company said its platform has captured more than 60,000 women’s health data insights and supported more than 113,000 AI health conversations from users aged 15 to 84.

Ovum targets gaps in healthcare data

Ovum is positioning the platform around a long-standing gap in women’s health data and care. The company argues that women’s health inequity has wider consequences for workforce participation, productivity, and economic output, but remains under-discussed in Australian business and policy conversations.

The company has already signed Medibank, Australia’s largest private health insurance provider, and has since formed partnerships with Fernwood Fitness, Sweat, Menopause Friendly Australia, and a pilot with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Ovum said those partnerships support its broader aim of addressing the US$150 billion in annual productivity lost when women reduce work or leave the workforce because of health issues.

Dr Heffernan-Marks founded Ovum after her own experience with chronic migraines during medical school. According to the company, she was told her pain was anxiety, an experience that shaped the idea for a women’s health journal combining technology and clinical research.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the desk, as a patient and as a doctor, and that’s why this mission matters so much to me,” said Dr Heffernan-Marks. “For too long, women have had to navigate healthcare systems that were not designed around their lived experiences or backed by sufficient female health data. Ovum exists to help women better understand their bodies, advocate for themselves with confidence, and contribute to research that improves care for future generations.”

She added that the new funding would help Ovum scale while continuing to build around clinical integrity, privacy, and consent.

Privacy is central to the data model

Ovum said its platform is built around anonymous consent, with user information encrypted and protected to standards including GDPR and SOC 2 II. The company said 83% of its users have opted in to share anonymised data for research intended to improve understanding, treatment, and care for women.

Earlier this year, Ovum launched clinical trials with St George Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Women. The company described the research as the first in Australia to assess AI as a preventative health tool designed specifically for women.

The trials are focused on how women manage their health today, the digital tools they use, and whether AI can support greater health confidence, self-advocacy, and continuity of care.