A Bristol start-up has developed a high-tech menstrual cup it says could “revolutionise” women’s health - and help close the gender health gap.
Emm was founded by Jenny Button in 2020 and is now working in partnership with the University of Cambridge having closed its pre-seed funding round of more than $1m (£870,000).
The company is hoping to tap into the $25bn feminine hygiene market with its product, which syncs with a smartphone app and uses sensing technology to monitor and provide data and insights to the user. The product, which is currently in a Beta testing phase and is set to launch in 2023, has already piqued the interest of organisations such as Google and Innovate UK.
The first generation of the device will be able to monitor menstrual flow rate, volume, length and regularity - and will also be able to tell the user when it needs emptying.
The idea, according to Ms Button, is to help users understand their baseline health and spot any changes in patterns or irregularities in their cycle that could indicate an issue.
“There is so much biological information that could enable early intervention for healthcare, but no route to clear access," said Ms Button, who has won a Women in Engineering Grant in recognition for her innovation in health.
"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.”
Emm is made from medical-grade silicone and features a patent-pending seal which shapes to the individual. According to Ms Button, the company has focused on making the product something people will want to use.
“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," she explained. "That’s why it was important we developed a best-in-class period product,"
Dr George Malliaras of the University of Cambridge, who sits on Emm’s scientific advisory board, believes the device could "revolutionise" health research.
He added: “Emm’s sensing platform is real innovation, with game-changing possibilities for health research. While the first generation of Emm will have huge value to its users and time-pressed medical professionals, it’s the possibilities Emm opens up in the future that can revolutionise health research and help to close the gender health gap.”
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