Berlin-based start-up raises €350,000 to ‘redefine’ women’s pain management

Hale, a Berlin-based start-up focusing on women’s pelvic pain management, has announced a successful €350,000 pre-seed funding round.

The fundraising, led by Exor Ventures’ Vento, is hoped to pave the way for Hale to “revolutionise” patient care in Italy and throughout Europe, starting with a supportive home-care management app.

The company specialises in pelvic pain, a problem often ignored and overlooked in women. According to a 2014 study, one in four women experiences this issue regularly, often due to conditions like endometriosis, vulvodynia or a tense pelvic floor.

These conditions are not well understood and there is no guaranteed cure, which can have a significant impact on women’s quality of life, including difficulties at work, during sexual activity and in the everyday life.

Hale says too many patients do not receive the proper support they need due to several structural issues. These include a lack of sufficient research into these conditions, a shortage of specialists, limited options for diagnosis and treatment and out-of-pocket costs.

Co-founders Vittoria Brolis and Gaia Salizzoni know from personal experience how debilitating the pain can be and how challenging it is to access the right support.

“It took us years to get the right diagnosis, and along the way, we tried treatments and procedures that didn’t work,” Brolis explained.

“We put together a team of experts in gynaecology, physiotherapy, urology, and psychotherapy. With their help, we’ve reached a point of balance.”

Hale’s aim is to use scientific research and patients’ data to “reinvent” the support system and create the first online clinic for, what the company describes as, women’s invisible pain.

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 wellbeing on a daily basis.

Soon, Hale says, patients will also be able to receive “data-driven” personalised advice, request consultations and share information with their medical team.

“Healthcare systems need to maximise resources, address their inefficiencies, and personalise health pathways,” said Salizzoni, the company’s CEO.

“Technology will play a crucial role in decentralising care through home assistance, patient involvement, and remote monitoring.”

She added: “With this funding, Hale takes the first step towards reducing the gender gap in pain research.

“Being digital primarily means using data to understand our own context. When it comes to women’s health, any new data is essential to move one step forward.”