Emm, a UK-based biotech startup, is developing a smart menstrual cup that automatically logs your menstrual metrics, alerts you to empty it, and makes you aware of any irregularities.
Yes, you read that right! While periods have always been a taboo subject and menstrual products an afterthought, women have slowly started to talk openly about it. Today, the global menstrual cups market is growing at 6.3% CAGR and will reach a valuation of USD 1,557.8 Mn by 2032. A lot of innovation is taking place in this industry.
Emm smart menstrual cup is in the beta testing phase, and if things work out, it may hit the market as early as this year.
Let’s know more about how this smart menstrual cup will help women.
What is Emm smart menstrual cup?
Emm smart menstrual cup is a bio-wearable cup made of medical-grade silicon, containing biosensors that measure and log essential menstrual metrics automatically. It makes the menstrual experience comfortable with its out-of-the-box features and sleek design.
Here are its unique features that enhance user experience and help women improve their menstrual health:
- It tracks and logs menstrual metrics like volume, flow rate, cycle length and regularity automatically.
- It sends notifications when the cup nears capacity and alerts the user to empty it.
- The smart cup is reusable (up to three years) and comes with a portable UV sanitiser to sterilise the cup on the go.
How does Emm smart menstrual cup work?
Using an Emm smart menstrual cup is a no-brainer. Emm guides the users through a setup process that connects the smart-sensor technology within the cup to the Emm app on their phones. Once connected, it provides up to 12 hours of uninterrupted protection.
Unlike typical period tracking apps, Emm doesn’t require the user to enter data manually. The cup’s smart-sensor technology records menstruation metrics, and the system automatically updates them in the Emm app.
Users can check the Emm app to understand their menstrual health baseline, which helps them spot any changes in patterns or irregularities that could indicate a health issue.
Note: While Emm is a great tool for self-check, it’s not a substitute for medical checkups.
What makes the Emm menstrual cup different?
Traditional menstrual products like pads and tampons have been around for decades. However, they cause discomfort in several women and provide no means to help them understand their menstrual health.
While the number of period tracking apps and wearables has drastically increased, they depend on user input and worry women about data privacy, especially after the overturn of the Roe vs. Wade ruling in the US.
Emm recognised the problems and understood the struggle faced by women for comfortable menstruation. To address them, it developed a prototype that differentiates it from others. Here’s how:
- Emm smart menstrual cups eliminate the need for traditional menstrual products that can be expensive, uncomfortable, and end up in landfills.
- It is a one-size-fits-all device inserted with a tampon-like applicator that creates a dynamic seal to fit any body shape, making insertion and removal easy.
- With its handy and portable UV sanitiser, Emm helps women to use the cup on the go, reducing the anxiety of using a public bathroom or boiling cups between cycles.
- Its capacitive sensors detect the fill level and heaviness of the period, reducing leakage stress.
- The Emm cup’s design can also help people with hard-to-diagnose conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
- Emm app keeps users’ data anonymous, ensuring no personal information is collected or shared.
About Emm
Emm is a UK-based biotech startup founded by Jenny Button. It has secured $1 million in seed funding from Innovate UK and Google for Startups and has partnered with the University of Cambridge to develop biosensors.
The startup is currently beta-testing the product with plans to launch in 2023.
Will Emm make it to the market?
While the potential benefits of the Emm smart menstrual cup are clear, the reality of bringing such a product to market is uncertain. Health tech gadgets have a history of never making it past the prototype stage. Previous attempts to create smart menstrual cups, like Looncup in 2015, failed to make it to market.
Despite the challenges, it’s encouraging to see innovators like Emm tackling the issue of period product sustainability and reproductive health. With beta testing underway and promising seed funding, there’s hope that Emm’s smart menstrual cup could be a game-changer for the menstrual product industry.
Only time will tell if this product will revolutionise period products or become another footnote in health tech history.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
