The Rise of Tech for Menopause
As I waited in line this morning at Pleasant Pops for my Sunday chai, I overheard two women chatting about menopause, hot flashes, and what their doctors had recently recommended to make these symptoms more manageable. I thought to myself that I don’t often hear a lot of women talk about menopause, and was reminded that so many aspects of women’s bodies and experiences have remained taboo for way too long. Although we are making some progress, it is clear that there’s still a lot of work to do.
According to an article published by Fortune, of the $254 million invested in technology for women’s health over the past decade, only 5% has gone to menopause treatments — and it seems like the lion’s share of that funding was devoted to reproductive health and fertility. However, when we look at the data, it is clear that the market opportunity or consumer need for menopause tech could not be obvious. According to the North American Menopause Society, an estimated 1.1 billion women throughout the world will be postmenopausal by 2025, and most women experiencing this change at that point in their life will have more purchasing power than ever before.
Below are some awesome early-stage start-ups doing great work to make the experience of going through menopause more manageable.
Location: San Francisco
Founders: Diane Wu, Ph.D. & Taylor Sittler
The Cusp is the first telemedicine service focused on women’s health in perimenopause. They just launched an at-home testing service that helps women predict menopause and for a small monthly fee, customers get unlimited video visits and messages with a provider, personalized treatment plan options that match their lifestyle. Although The Cusp isn’t a replacement for an OBGYN, its physicians have unique expertise in the treatment of perimenopause and menopause symptoms and are certified by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). An added bonus point of The Cusp is that customers may be able to use their HSA or FSA to cover the costs.
Location: Seattle
Founders: Jill Angelo & Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su
Gennev is an online clinic for menopause with the mission of helping women take control of their health in the second half of life. Gennev first started by building a library of physician-vetted articles, podcasts, and webinars about menopause, including HRT and migraines, and digging into the difficulties of performing at work with brain fog and irritability, and incredibly heavy periods. A year later, Gennev decided to expand and connect women directly with experts. They now offer three different options to get started, including the option of scheduling time with a Registered Dietitian, Menopause-certified Doctor, or receiving Holistic Menopause Care (Doctor + Dietitian). Similar to The Cusp, customers can use FSA or HSA to fund Gennev visits, memberships, and products.
Location: New York
Founders: Alessandra Henderson & Jannine Versi
Elektra Health is on a mission to smash the menopause taboo by empowering women with evidence-based education, care, and community. They offer science-backed information and recommendations, access to a care team of women’s health experts, evidence-based programs and workshops, and a private community of awesome women. Elektra makes it super easy for customers with its three-step onboarding process that starts with an online questionnaire, followed by a 1:1 online visit, and ends with a 360º Care Plan that customers receive within 24h. Elektra’s treatment plans are tailored to each individual and her needs, and includes recommendations that range from lifestyle changes, over-the-counter supplements, and prescription medication.
Location: San Francisco
Founder: Ann Garnier
Lisa Health combines technology-enabled solutions and community to empower women to thrive during menopause and midlife. The best part about this app is that it helps women make small changes to prepare for menopause and manage the symptoms. Customers start by filling out a quick and free assessment to understand where they are in their journey, before receiving a tailored plan to help them track symptoms and progress — all while being able to access endless resources and a large community of women who are experiencing a similar journey.
Location: San Francisco
Founder: Jeanne Chung
MIGHTY Menopause is changing the way women deal with menopause-related symptoms through its natural supplements. MIGHTY offers evidence-based natural supplements specifically designed for the different phases of menopause. They contain clinically-proven ingredients chosen to address the underlying causes of unwanted menopause symptoms. They also offer an easy way to track how customers are doing while taking the supplements and provide a monthly progress chart.
I hope that after reading this you are just as excited as I am to watch this space grow over the next five years!
