London-based femtech start-up raises US$2.5m in seed funding

The sexual and reproductive wellbeing platform The Lowdown has announced a US$2.5 m seed round.

The community wellbeing platform has launched its German language assessment platform for customers within the DACH area – Germany, Austria and Switzerland – and it will use the newly closed seed round to improve and expand the platform’s services across Europe.

This month the platform will also broaden its core service and launch a collection of merchandise to assist girls handle their contraceptive unwanted side effects and vaginal wellbeing signs, together with UTIs, thrush, bacterial vaginosis, breast tenderness, and vaginal dryness.

Powered by user-generated content, medical advice, and prescriptions, the company uses its community-first approach to put women in control of their healthcare decisions by helping them choose, access and use the right contraception.

According to the UN, almost one billion people use contraception worldwide, for on average 30 years, but up to 80 per cent of users suffer from side effects such as headaches, nausea, breast tenderness or enlargement, spotting, weight gain and mood changes.

Between 20-40 per cent are dissatisfied with their current or most recent method, and the lack of clinical evidence and high-quality information makes it difficult to navigate.

In England the recent Women’s Health Strategy report highlighted that 84 per cent of women who are using contraception have not felt listened to by healthcare professionals and that access still continues to be an issue.

Founder Alice Pelton founded The Lowdown in 2019. After she suffered debilitating side effects from her contraception throughout her twenties, she built the contraception review platform to help women share and compare their experiences.

“I wanted to start a company, but I actually created a movement,” Pelton explains. “Through The Lowdown, women are empowered to educate themselves and get the medical advice they really need.

“This has helped over one million women so far feel heard, reassured and informed and we’re using this feedback loop to develop products and solutions that help solve women’s health problems.”

Last year the company launched the UK’s first private contraception consultation service via their team of remote expert GPs and has since expanded the service to include sex coaching and pelvic health physiotherapies.

The team has developed a suite of digital tools, including a contraception recommendation algorithm based on their review data and clinical evidence.

The Lowdown is the UK’s main sexual and reproductive wellbeing platform, visited by 70,000 girls each month.

For more info, visit thelowdown.com.