MATTER launches women’s health accelerator to support start-ups

A US healthcare incubator has launched a women’s health accelerator to advance solutions for menopausal women.

The inaugural cohort of the 51 Labs accelerator, launched by the Chicago-based company MATTER, will focus on advancing solutions to support women+ during menopause and perimenopause.

The name, 51 Labs, stems from the fact that women are 51 percent of the population, despite women+’s health being an underfunded and under-innovated sector.

Women+’s health has been categorised as a niche space, with only five percent of all the US digital health funding going to women+’s health startups.

Women+ spend seven-to-14 years in perimenopause and menopause and experience any combination of 34 different symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood and mental health changes, weight gain, brain fog, worsening memory, painful intercourse and more.

There has been relatively little innovation focused on menopause, and with 1.3 million US women+ entering their menopausal transition each year, this life stage seems prime for innovation.

Menopause is further compounded by disparate health outcomes for women+ who have been historically marginalised with Black women+ entering menopause earlier than white women+ and at risk of more intense symptoms.

“51 Labs is a new opportunity for entrepreneurs focused on solving women+’s health challenges to rapidly accelerate their progress,” said Steven Collens, CEO of MATTER.

“Our first year’s cohort, focused on menopause, will benefit greatly from the engagement with Astellas, Walgreens and our health system partners.”

The inaugural 51 Labs accelerator cohort will address the question ‘How might we empower and support women+ during their menopausal transition with innovative healthcare solutions?’.

The 2022 programme will have two tracks — one focused on menopause awareness and identification, and another on symptom and lifestyle management.

With Parkview Health and University of Chicago Medicine’s focus on providing accessible, integrated care for their diverse patient populations, both tracks will focus on sourcing solutions that address the needs of underrepresented women+.

Other partners include Astellas Pharma US, Walgreens, Parkview Health and University of Chicago Medicine.

Marni Allen, director of consumer healthcare futures at Walgreens, said: “We are deeply committed to making healthcare more equitable and accessible for everyone, everywhere.

“By joining the first cohort of 51 Labs, we will help courageous entrepreneurs advancing real innovation and change in women+’s health.”

Applications for the 12-week accelerator are now open. Participating start-ups will benefit from one-on-one mentoring with industry experts, workshops as well as interactive roundtable discussions and forums.