Melinda French Gates announced a $100M partnership between her Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap

[noumoe]

Melinda French Gates announced a $100M partnership between her Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap to fund women's health research, targeting issues like cardiovascular disease, mental health, and autoimmune disorders. Funding splits $50M each, supporting two 2026 programs overseen by Wellcome Leap's rapid model.

At Forbes Power Women’s Summit, she said: “I want to see women step into equal power and influence at every level of society... But there is no path to that future if women are having to fight unwinnable battles just to receive basic healthcare.” She claimed closing the health gap could add $1T to global GDP by 2040, though such estimates are debated.

Gates cited Dobbs as motivation: “I experienced the Dobbs decision as a call to action. It is unthinkable to me that my two granddaughters could have fewer rights than I did.” This progressive view may clash with conservatives favoring state rights.