Reportedly, one in four women experiences pelvic pain regularly, often due to conditions like endometriosis, vulvodynia, or a tense pelvic floor. These conditions aren’t well understood and there’s no guaranteed cure, which can significantly impact a woman’s life. The pain can cause difficulties in work, during sexual activity, and in everyday routines, affecting their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Berlin-headquartered female-founded Hale is focusing on this problem, which is often ignored.
In a recent development, the startup focusing on women’s pelvic pain management has announced €350K in a pre-seed funding round. Vento, the Italian chapter of Exor Ventures, led the round. Other major Italian investors in the round include B Heroes, Delirus Capital, StartupGym, Moonstone Fund, and a group of private investors such as Luca Foschini (founder of Evidation Health), Francesco Zaccariello (founder of eFarma), Alice Ravizza (medical device expert), and Veronica Diquattro (Global Markets at DAZN, formerly Google and Spotify).
The funding will help Hale take the first step towards reducing the gender gap in pain research and revolutionise patient care in Italy and throughout Europe, starting with a supportive home-care management app. Its platform will be incorporated in clinics and corporate health plans by 2024.
Co-founder Vittoria Brolis explained: “It took us years to get the right diagnosis, and along the way, we tried treatments and procedures that didn’t work. We put together a team of experts in gynaecology, physiotherapy, urology, and psychotherapy. With their help, we’ve reached a point of balance.”
“Healthcare systems need to maximise resources, address their inefficiencies, and personalise health pathways” explains co-founder Gaia Salizzoni. “Technology will play a crucial role in decentralising care through home assistance, patient involvement, and remote monitoring.”
Helps women manage pelvic pain
Founded in 2022 by Gaia Salizzoni and Vittoria Brolis, Hale is set to revolutionise patient care by launching a home-care management app that will guide genito-pelvic patients through their health journey from start to finish. The approach is grounded in scientific evidence and data and aims to integrate with existing healthcare systems.
Its first product is an app that allows patients to receive a personalised home-care assistance plan, connect with a private community, and monitor their well-being on a daily basis. Soon, it will be possible to receive data-driven personalised advice, request consultations with experts, and share information with the patient’s medical team.
Hale complements traditional therapies by improving patient adherence, adding much-needed psycho-sexual support, and providing relevant insights to patients and medical teams.
Currently, Hale operates via monthly subscription, but will soon be offered through clinics and in company corporate health plans.
