We asked Annabel De Gheldere, FemTech entrepreneur and CEO of Womco, about her business journey so far. Here’s what she told us:
So, tell us about Womco and why you set up your HealthTech business
“I founded Womco with one mission – to revolutionise the way we support hormonal health with an accessible and realistic solution. I was put on birth control at the age of 15 because my menstrual symptoms were so painful and I’ve personally experienced the uncontrollable effects of hormonal imbalances and struggled for years to find effective solutions.
"Our solution revolves around tackling something that people do every day – eating.
"It’s backed by 20 years of scientific research advancement in the food-hormone connection, showing that women should be eating a different mix of micro/macronutrients specific to their metabolism and to each phase of their cycle. Mind-blowing, right? Why does no one know about this? Now, through Womco, they will.
"Syncing your nutrition can naturally rectify and regulate hormones from their root cause, restore balance and alleviate symptoms like pain and unwanted effects.”
Our solution revolves around something that people do every day: eating
Annabel De Gheldere,
FemTech entrepreneur and CEO of Womco
What is your elevator pitch?
“We created the first science-backed personalised nutrition solution for women’s hormonal health.”
What's been your biggest achievement so far?
“After surveying 1,500 UK women aged 20 to 40, we validated the need for our product.
75% of them regularly rely on painkillers to manage their hormonal symptoms because there are no real alternative solutions. 50% said they had never used any natural solution to balance their hormones and 85% indicated they would be ready and willing to pay for a food-based solution. So, we built Womco.”
What's next for the business?
"While the product is currently focused on menstrual health (women aged 18-40) we’re looking to expand our solution to address more verticals: pregnancy, fertility, and (peri)menopause.
"With the data we’ll get, we can also propose our end-to-end approach to healthcare specialists: doctors, and clinics, as a digital therapeutic tool that they can recommend to patients at home."
What hints & tips can you give other HealthTech founders?
“Figure out the best way to leverage data and make your product different from what already sits in the market.
"But be careful, you don't want to drown in a sea of irrelevant data and information. Instead, focus on collecting the right data that solves a real problem for your clients in a way that's easy to use and appealing to them – while educating them about the solution if they aren’t familiar with the root-cause of their problems in the first place.”