Indian femtech start-up secures US$270k to help women take control of their hormonal health

The Indian femtech startup Salad has raised US$270,000 in pre-seed funding to help women “take charge of their hormonal health”.

The New Delhi start-up was started in 2020 by founder and CEO, Aruna Chawla, with the aim to demystify female bodies after she realised how little women in India know about their bodies. She was later joined by Karishma Rathaur, co-founder and COO.

Menstruation remains an undiscussed subject in many communities across India. The two business women want to challenge traditional beliefs and improve the overall well-being of the country’s over 355 millions menstruators.

This year’s funding round, led by the early-stage investment platform Antler India via the VC firm’s Antler India Residency initiative, will help the start-up prepare the launch of its upcoming app, a cycle-synced lifestyle planner to help women manage their hormonal health.

In an interview with BW Disrupt, Chawla said: “We are currently at the cusp of a revolutionary shake-up of the healthcare industry, wherein women are finally taking charge of the different factors contributing to their overall health and wellness.

“At Salad, we want to leverage technology to empower women to plug the information gap about their hormones and take the necessary steps to proactively manage their own health and lifestyle.”

“What’s particularly exciting is that we are building this for women across the world, through multiple stages of their life, having diverse goals and bioindividual needs, in a way that’s only possible through technology,” added her co-founder.

Rajiv Srivatsa, partner at Antler India, said: “The increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases is a trend that cannot be ignored and demands new-age interventions that use technology. We are thrilled to back Salad.”