Why this Gen Z student is taking on menopause

How is a Gen Z founder, who is still in school, leading a company focused on a topic she has yet to experience personally?

For decades, menopause has been an advertising blind spot and overlooked, underrepresented, and often dismissed as a niche issue.

But the numbers tell a different story: women in perimenopause and menopause control $15 trillion in purchasing power and account for nearly 30% of consumer spending in the US. And yet, 76% of menopausal women don’t feel represented by brands, while 87% feel entirely overlooked.

In Asia Pacific, the menopause market is experiencing rapid growth, with South Korea's market surging from US$5.6 million in 2011 to over US$900 million in 2021. Despite this, only 39% of Korean women feel comfortable discussing menopause.

The menopausal treatment market in APAC was valued at US$2 billion in 2021 and is projected to double by 2029. Japan leads in healthcare solutions, with 45% of women seeking medical treatment. As awareness rises, the region presents a significant opportunity for brands addressing midlife health.

Enter Valery Tan, the Gen Z co-founder of Surety, a Singapore-based femTech startup that aims to change how the world sees midlife. At just 28 and still to graduate from her university, Tan is proving that menopause is a societal issue, not just a “women of a certain age” issue.