fermata and Convosphere Partner to Turn 'Hidden Voices' in Women's Health into Business Intelligence

## Turning 'Invisible Needs' in the Women's Health Market into Insights for Corporate Decision-Making

fermata (based in Tokyo; CEO: Amina Sugimoto; hereinafter 'fermata') and Convosphere Ltd. (based in London; CEO & Co-Founder: Jackie Cuyvers; hereinafter 'Convosphere'), a global leader in social listening and social intelligence, have announced a business partnership to provide specialized market research and marketing strategy support for domestic and international companies in the women's health and femtech sectors.

This partnership follows the joint presentation, 'From Taboo Whispers to Product Briefs: Listening to the Hidden Reality of Women’s Health in Japan,' delivered at the international research and insights conference 'ESOMAR Asia Pacific 2026 | Beyond Balance' held in Tokyo from May 27-29, 2026. The partnership will roll out specialized social intelligence and market strategy support services for enterprises in the femtech domain.

Background for this initiative includes the fact that challenges in women's health—such as menstrual pain, PMS, menopause, fertility issues, urinary incontinence, postnatal care, and sexual wellness—are deeply interconnected with consumer QOL, work habits, purchasing behaviors, and access to medical care. However, because these themes have long been treated as 'difficult to talk about,' 'things to endure,' or 'private issues,' the genuine feelings and latent needs of consumers have not been sufficiently visualized as data that can be utilized in corporate decision-making.

Given this situation, fermata and Convosphere will analyze natural, spontaneous online conversations from social media, Q&A sites, forums, reviews, and online communities to provide companies with insights and strategies for new business development, product development, marketing, influencer strategies, and Japanese market entry.

### Turning the 'Invisible Voices' of the Women's Health Market into Actionable Data

The number of companies considering entry or expansion into the women's health and femtech sector is increasing. Yet, many face challenges such as: 'We know the market exists, but we lack the data to get internal approval,' 'Surveys don't reveal genuine thoughts,' or 'We don't know what language will lead to purchases.'

The root of this wall is not the absence of needs; it is that consumer voices have not been sufficiently translated into data or strategies that corporations can utilize.

In the women's health domain, essential needs and factors hindering purchase are hidden within ambiguous language—such as 'feeling somewhat unwell,' 'painful but not enough to take a break,' 'being told there's nothing wrong by a doctor,' or 'being curious but anxious to buy'—as well as in anonymous consultations.

In their joint presentation at ESOMAR Asia Pacific 2026, the duo analyzed online posts related to women's health in Japan over the past six months, confirming approximately 500,000 relevant conversations. This equates to about 2,700 conversations per day and 115 per hour.

Through this partnership, they will capture these difficult-to-express emotions, hesitations, euphemisms, and anonymous consultation behaviors as the 'Whisper Layer,' transforming them into insights and strategies that corporations can utilize. This will support the design of product development, marketing, influencer campaigns, partnerships with healthcare professionals, and Japanese market entry strategies based on more realistic consumer voices.

### Four Business Opportunities Identified at ESOMAR

At ESOMAR Asia Pacific 2026, fermata and Convosphere identified four need areas based on online conversations that corporations can utilize for product development, marketing, HR policies, partnerships with healthcare professionals, and influencer strategies:

#### 1. Women Working While Enduring (Silent Sick Leave)
Voices of women working while enduring menstrual pain, PMS, or menopausal symptoms, but finding it difficult to explain at work or home and unable to take adequate breaks. This area is linked to the design of corporate services and internal support for HR/welfare, pharmaceutical, medical device, and health management support companies.

#### 2. Unaddressed Women's Health Issues in Clinics (Doctor Dismissal)
Voices expressing distrust or resignation toward medical institutions due to experiences where symptoms persisted despite being told 'nothing is wrong,' or where they felt their concerns were not adequately heard.