💌 Issue 98: The "operating system" for women's health | HerMD pivots | Alloy introduces weight care | The toll of fertility struggles

+ lots more in your weekly round-up of women's health innovation and FemTech news

Apr 23, 2025

Hi! Welcome to issue #98 of FutureFemHealth (w/c April 21 2025).

🌟 Coming up today we’ve got:

🔥 $1.8m pre-seed for Trellis Health’s pregnancy and postpartum support app
✅ HerMD pivots to virtual care following clinic closures
⚖️ Alloy introduces weight care program for menopausal and perimenopausal women
❤️ Fertility struggles take stark toll on mental health, careers and finances - new research

Got news to share with our 8,000 global readers who are working in women’s health and FemTech? Or would you like to sponsor the newsletter and reach our audience? Reply to this email or let me know at anna@futurefemhealth.com

🔥 Trellis health wants to be the “operating system” for women’s health

When the founders of Flo Health - the most downloaded women’s health app in the world - back a new startup, it’s worth us paying attention.

In case you missed it, Trellis Health emerged from stealth last week with $1.8M in pre-seed funding and serious supporters: Palette Ventures, Swizzle Ventures, NEXTBLUE, and angels including Flo’s Yuri Gurski and Andrei Kouzel. (Read our full story here).

The startup begins as a pregnancy and postpartum support app but boldly describes its bigger ambition: to be a ‘‘lifetime operating system’ for women’s health.

As founder Estelle Giraud wrote:

“We’re aiming at the type of health experience that doesn’t just feel ‘better’ but… decadent.
“A truly personalized, digital care experience… to build generational health.”

Tackling healthcare fragmentation

We all generate more health data than ever - but it’s messy, fragmented and often unusable. Trellis wants to fix that.

Co-founder and CEO Estelle is a former commercial leader at genomics giant Illumina, who brings deep experience in personalized health. Trellis blends that expertise with AI to turn years of data into proactive care.

Trellis has already connected with 50,000 heatlhcare providers across the U.S - and the integrations are planned beyond medical records too:

“From wearables to environmental data, state vaccine registries to private labs… Trellis does the hard work for you. This is not the same as manually stitching together every PDF-formatted health note yourself.”

Trellis also marks the third start-up I’ve seen this month tackling health data integration in women’s health. I wrote last week about the UK’s Pouch Health which aims to bring together fragmented health data into a pregnancy and postpartum app. And pregnancy app Journey is integrating with EPIC, the US’s biggest electronic health records system.

The model for Trellis will be direct-to-consumer, with an annual subscription, FSA/HSA eligibility and a financial assistance program to support equitable access - much needed when the starting point is maternal health.

Of course, while the platform is currently waiting list only these bold promises still are yet to be realised. But expectations are high and the need real.

“Trellis Health is stepping in at this breaking point, offering an integrated platform that unifies medical history, provides continuous care, and delivers the proactive health management solution that modern consumers, especially women, desperately need.”

And I for one can’t wait to see what Estelle’s ambitious “decadent” health experience for women might look like.

Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.

📌 U.S: HerMD pivots to virtual care following clinic closures. After unexpectedly shutting down all its physical locations in March 2025 due to ‘ongoing challenges in healthcare’, women's health company HerMD is back and it’s relaunching as a virtual-only platform. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Somi Javaid, HerMD had previously expanded to multiple clinics and raised nearly $30 million in funding. The new virtual model aims to continue offering comprehensive services — including gynecology, sexual health, menopause care, and more — through extended visits and personalized treatment plans, maintaining its mission to provide accessible, evidence-based care for women.(Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)

📌 U.S: Alloy introduces weight care program for menopausal and perimenopausal women. Weight gain during menopause is common — but talking about it isn’t always easy. Many women feel pressure to stay silent or "just accept it," especially in a culture of body positivity. Alloy is stepping in with a new program that combines GLP-1 medications, menopause hormone therapy (MHT), and whole-person care including nutrition, coaching, and 24/7 telehealth. With 80% of Alloy users citing weight-related symptoms of menopause as a key concern, and 60% interested in combining GLP-1s with MHT, the program aims to offer thoughtful, tailored support without shame. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)

📌 UK: Diagnostic tampon can identify HPV better than tests, study suggests. The UK is aiming to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, and better HPV screening is a big part of that. A new peer-reviewed study has found that Daye’s tampon-based test picked up the virus with 99.2% accuracy - that’s better than current clinical swabs. It’s a promising option, especially for those put off by traditional in-person tests. But experts point out it only detects the virus itself, not early signs of cancer, so follow-up screenings are still essential. (Continue reading: The Times (paywall))

📌 CANADA: 49Care launches Canada’s first at-home menopause test. As awareness of menopause grows, more and more women are seeking tools to better understand this life stage. Approved by Health Canada, this new testing kit from 49Care measures the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels to help users identify if they are in perimenopause or menopause. While kits like these offers convenience and privacy, experts note that FSH levels can vary, and diagnosis needs to consider symptoms and clinical input too. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)

📌 U.S: Pacify and Seven Starling partner on maternal health benefits and mental health. Untreated maternal mental health conditions are proven to have the highest impact on maternal mortality in the U.S. and remain the leading cause of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In this smart and strategic partnership, Pacify's members will now gain access to Seven Starling's specialized mental health provider network throughout their care journey. And Seven Starling's members will be able to make use of Pacify's highly trained doulas and lactation consultants throughout pregnancy and postpartum. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)

📌 GLOBAL: Western healthcare has failed women. Now, they’re turning to Chinese medicine to fill the gap. A wave of startups are working to take Traditional Chinese Medicine mainstream by clinically validating herbal treatment for conditions like PCOS, PMS, and more. Frustrated by the gaps in mainstream care, women are increasingly giving these alternatives a try too. While still in the ‘early adopter’ stage, startups like Elix are now investing in clinical trials to build trust and scale — signaling a growing push to integrate traditional healing into the future of women’s health. (Continue reading: Fast Company)

📌 U.S: Women in focus: understanding women as digital health consumers. New Rock Health analysis highlights a nuanced story about how women navigate digital care experiences - while they actively track their health they do not always use digital tools; and while smartwatches are popular among women, rings and patches are less so. Trust is a key theme here too - while women are searching for information about their health online they’re skeptical of what they’re finding. All in all it’s an opportunity for brands to educate, build trust and adoption with personalised, relevant solutions. (Continue reading: Rock Health)

🩸 Research and women’s health news

📌 U.S: Fertility struggles take stark toll on mental health, careers and finances - new research. Infertility doesn’t just impact the body, it touches every part of life. This new study by Maven focuses on women, poignantly finding that 91% say fertility challenges impact mental health and 44% have turned down promotions, raises or new job opportunities due to treatment schedules or future family planning. The research highlights the need for a collective response from employers, healthcare providers, and society at large. (Continue reading: FutureFemHealth)

📌 GLOBAL: Microplastics found in human ovary follicular fluid for the first time. With infertility on the rise globally, scientists are increasingly exploring how environmental toxins may be contributing. A new study has detected microplastics in the ovarian follicular fluid of women undergoing IVF - marking the first time these particles have been found in the fluid that nourishes developing eggs. Though long-term impacts are still unknown, the paper notes a “possible presence of correlation between the concentration of microplastics” and reproductive health in the women who participated in the new study. (Continue reading: The Guardian)

📄 Govt & policy news

📌 U.S: The new baby boom: how the White House is looking to jumpstart the nation’s birth rate. Since 1990 the U.S. total fertility rate has declined from 2.1 births per woman to 1.62 births per woman in 2023 - that’s below the necessary replacement level for the population. The Trump administration is now reportedly exploring ideas to boost the birth rate, including a $5,000 ‘baby bonus’ for new mothers, menstrual cycle education and expanded tax credits. (Continue reading: Yahoo / The Independent)

📆 Save the date

What if we could prevent breast cancer by targeting hormones?

Breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer worldwide — and over 70% of cases are hormone-sensitive. As science uncovers the links between hormone exposure and cancer, the need for prevention strategies has never been greater.

Join the 5th Tech4Eva Opening Conference on May 12, 2025, live at the Rolex Forum or online.

Two leading voices from EPFL will take the stage:

🔹 Cathrin Brisken, Prof. in Life Sciences at EPFL, Institute of Cancer Research London – keynote speaker and global authority on hormone-driven breast cancer.

🔹 Stéphanie Lacour, VP for Support to Strategic Initiatives, EPFL – offering insight into EPFL’s broader innovation mission and healthcare.

You’ll also discover the 2025 Tech4Eva cohort pitching at the event – a new generation of Femtech start-ups reshaping the future of women’s health.

🔗 More information & registration here

✅ Jobs

📌 U.S: Clinical Sales Specialist USA, Aspivix

📌 VARIOUS / GLOBAL: Director, Program Leader Late-Stage Development, Women’s Health, Organon

📌 SWEDEN: Junior Graphic Designer, Natural Cycles

That’s all for this week! See you next time. If you’ve missed any previous newsletter issues catch them all at futurefemhealth.com and do make sure to follow us on LinkedIn.