UK-based biotech startup Emm, has developed a novel smart menstrual cup that uses proprietary sensing technology to monitor and analyze specific biometrics to empower and inform the user through unique health insights and data regarding their menstrual cycle. Having closed its pre-seed funding of over $1M, it is now in beta-testing, readying for full production and launch in 2023.
Emm was founded in 2020 and will initially provide personalized data and unique insights into menstrual health. It automatically syncs with a smartphone app allowing users to understand their baseline health and spot any changes in patterns or irregularities in their cycle that could indicate a health issue. In its first generation, Emm will monitor menstrual flow rate, volume, length, and regularity.
This regular monitoring has the potential to lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of numerous reproductive health conditions that otherwise can take years to pinpoint. Using its smart-sensor technology, future generations of the Emm cup will have the scope to measure and analyse further biomarkers painlessly, non-invasively and conveniently, opening the door for extensive data and research.
Emm Founder Jenny Button, who has won a Women in Engineering Grant in recognition for her innovation in health, shares: “There is so much biological information that could enable early intervention for healthcare, but no route to clear access. The menstrual cycle is a non-invasive route to giving our users better health data for better health outcomes. Many health conditions are difficult for researchers to analyse at the moment because they require invasive testing or regular monitoring which is inconvenient, time-intensive and often uncomfortable. Emm has the potential to do this in a practical, painless way. For Emm to be a useful tool with the potential to revolutionise research into female health, it needs to be something people actually want to use. That’s why it was important we developed a best-in-class period product.”
