Digital health startup Prickly Pear Health has secured institutional pre-seed funding exceeding $250K, led by Bayless Ventures and AZ Venture Capital. The company focuses on cognitive wellness during menopause.
The funding round attracted notable investors and advisors, including Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey, Neurooncologist at Mayo Clinic; Dr. Heidi Jannenga, Co-founder of WebPT; and Ginny Wright, CEO of Audemars Piguet, Americas.
Image: Samantha Asher Photography
“Securing institutional backing this early in our journey validates both our mission and market opportunity,” said Imen Maaroufi Clark, Founder and CEO of Prickly Pear Health. “This investment accelerates our ability to address the critical gaps in menopausal health support, particularly around cognitive and neurological wellness.”
The platform leverages AI technology to address the impact of hormonal fluctuations on brain health during the menopausal transition, providing personalized insights and recommendations. Currently in closed beta, the company is developing partnerships with healthcare providers and research institutions.
“Issues like brain fog and memory deficits due to hormonal fluctuations are affecting the 28 million women currently in menopausal transition and will continue to grow by 2 million per year,” said Dr. Heidi Jannenga. “With their innovative technological platform, Prickly Pear is poised to help women not just tolerate, but thrive during and beyond their reproductive years with their evidence-based approach to navigating these transition periods. I proudly support Imen as a female founder transforming the brain health approach.”
Clark’s journey to founding Prickly Pear Health was inspired by her mother’s experience with surgical menopause following an emergency postpartum hysterectomy in North Africa. This personal connection, combined with her technology background, drove her to develop solutions for the often-overlooked cognitive and neurological aspects of menopausal transition.
“Prickly Pear Health represents exactly what we look for in early-stage investments,” said James Goulka, CEO and President of AZ Venture Capital Inc. “The combination of a compelling founder story, clear market need, and innovative technology solution presents an exceptional opportunity to transform women’s health.”
The platform integrates conversational AI, behavioral analytics, and wearable technology to support emotional well-being, mental clarity, and cognitive resilience for women during and after menopause.
