The Swedish start-up Natural Cycles has secured US$7m in funding to advance its contraceptive app, ahead of partnership with Samsung.
The women’s health company based in Stockholm has developed the world’s first certified app that uses body temperature and other key fertility indicators to determine each user’s unique fertility status.
Dr Elina Berglund and her husband, Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, were in search of an effective method of natural birth control when they founded Natural Cycles in 2013.
Five years later the app became the first ever digital birth control to be cleared by the US FDA and it is now certified as a contraceptive in Europe, Australia and Singapore.
Through the US$7m funding round, led by Samsung Ventures, Natural Cycles’ fertility technology will support the cycle tracking feature integrated into Samsung’s watches, marking the first time the app’s algorithm has been adapted for a smartwatch.
According to Samsung, the new skin temperature-based cycle tracking capabilities will be available through the Samsung Health app on the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro by the end of June.
The giant has confirmed that all data collected will be encrypted and stored on the user’s device itself, giving users more control of their health data and “better peace of mind”.
Hon Pak, vice president and head of digital health team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics, said: “Consumers can now easily track their menstrual cycle right from their wrist, combining Natural Cycles’ innovative fertility technology with Samsung’s superior temperature sensor to provide a more holistic understanding of their health and wellbeing.
“This is another demonstration of Samsung’s open collaboration philosophy with other industry leaders to create better health experiences.”
Dr Scherwitzl, Natural Cycles founder, said: “We are excited to partner with Samsung to deliver a premium experience that pushes women’s health forward.
“The Natural Cycles app has helped millions of women around the world take control of their fertility and this partnership will allow Samsung to leverage our fertility technology to offer temperature-based cycle tracking through a smartwatch for the first time.”
In an interview with Forbes, Berglund said: “I had concerns that women’s health innovation could suffer a setback but with the growth we have seen at the company – as well as the support we’re seeing from partners like Samsung – it’s evident that’s not the case.
“I can feel a shift as women demand access to more high-quality products and I’m confident more companies will follow the same path and we’ll see further investment within women’s health this year.”
Newsletter
Sign up for free weekly updates
The latest femtech news, research and investment, straight to your inbox.
