Tania Boler- Elvie and the rise of the $50billion Femtech sector

Today’s guest is someone I have wanted to interview for a very long time. Tania Boler founded the female technology firm Elvie around a decade ago and last year they raised a whopping £70m series C funding round.  But that figure has an even greater significance than the size alone- in 2012, the Femtech sector raised just $62 million in its entirety. In 10 years, that represents amazing growth and presents a hopeful picture for the future of female-first industries. Elvie represents an amazing entrepreneurial story and we discuss what has happened in the last 10 years to inspire such investor confidence, how Elvie has pulled off some of the most daring PR stunts, as well as the future of jobs in femtech. We also talk about how to gain cult status as a brand and the skills of the future that make you stand out. In this episode we discuss: What’s in a name- where did Elvie come from? The monumental changes in the Femtech sector.  Tania’s unusual background for an entrepreneur - working for NGOs. Working at the UN. The impact of her Innovate UK grant. How important is the media in the context of Female technology- and why Elvie runs provocative PR campaigns. Building a community. Some ideas that haven’t made it out yet? Why everyone thought she was crazy in the early days. How to become a cult favourite. How we can improve the production of female founders. What are the future jobs in Elvie? The roles she never thought she’d hire. How to work in strategy. Why she set up another office in Bristol. What does the future look like for Elvie? What’s her advice for entrepreneurs looking to raise money? The key books to read if you’re a founder Where to learn about the FemTech sector? Pass the mic - Hannah Thompson The Joy Club Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes, releasing every Wednesday.You can sign up to Jimmy's Substack here for weekly content on the future of work, technology, and politicsFor more information on partnering with us please visit our partnerships page here.Also make sure you subscribe to The Shift, you can find it here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices