In this Q&A, you’ll hear from Anne Fulenwider, co-founder & co-CEO of Alloy Women’s Health, a digital clinic for perimenopause and menopause. Anne discusses the gap in care for midlife women and why adding solutions for gut health, sexual wellness, and weight loss are part of the equation.
Tell us about Alloy.
Anne Fulenwider: Alloy Women’s Health is a one-stop solution for perimenopause and menopause care. We are the only 100% digital company that connects women to board-certified, menopause-trained physicians with 24/7 asynchronous communication.
Since our founding in 2021, Alloy has helped thousands of women find relief through customized treatment plans, home delivery of prescription medications, and the most up-to-date, science-backed resources to help women thrive in midlife. Responding to the real needs of our customers, we’ve added solutions for skin, hair, gut, sexual health, and now weight.
The care women deserve, our members gain a longitudinal relationship with a physician who will remain their physician the entire length of their Alloy membership. Unique to Alloy, we also offer regular support groups and expert-led webinars to our community, because no woman should go through menopause alone.
Our mission is to amplify the expertise of our experts — not just to our customers, but to educate menopausal women everywhere.
What led you to pursue this opportunity?
AF: When I was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, we published an article called “Being a Woman is Killing You,” which changed my whole perspective on how the healthcare industry treats women.
While that was the start of the belief I could be doing more, the real turning point for me came after losing my mother to a sudden heart attack, and at the same time, witnessing my daughter struggling with health issues. Experiencing the healthcare system from both ends of the age spectrum gave me pause about how we care for women’s bodies in this country.
Not long after, I met my now co-founder, Monica Molenaar, and we bonded over the barriers, confusion, and lack of information for midlife women like us. I was in perimenopause without realizing it, and Monica had been navigating the experience of having her ovaries removed and suddenly going into menopause at just 40 years old.
We knew we weren’t the only ones with these challenges. In the US alone, about 85M women are in menopause or perimenopause. Of those, only about 2% seeking treatment for symptoms receive it. And there are fewer than 2K menopause-trained practitioners in the country.
All that adds up to a massive access gap and a problem that, we hoped, could be solved with technology and little creative thinking. We believed there had to be a better way — and we were right.
We built Alloy with the mission to directly connect women everywhere to real menopause experts, getting them the relief and support they desperately need. Above all, we wanted our brand to speak to women with honesty, humor, and empathy.
How did you turn your idea into a company?
AF: We focused on building the business that we wanted for ourselves. We understand our customer because we are her, and we were looking for something exactly like Alloy.
The most gratifying part about growing our company from the ground up has been the positive impact we’ve made on the lives of others, outside and inside the company. We proved to ourselves and the world that it’s possible to run a profitable, purpose-driven business that provides access to menopause education and expert care without compromising our values.
At the beginning, Monica and I were basically the entire customer support team and personally called each customer back. While we now have a large and wonderful customer support team that manages this critical function, we still try to jump in when we can because, honestly, our customers mean everything to us, and hearing their feedback is what keeps us evolving.
Hearing stories from our customers who’ve gotten their lives back and are feeling the best they’ve felt in years is so fulfilling — and makes it so clear that we’re headed in the right direction.
How big can this get?
AF: Broadly applicable, ~1.3M women enter menopause each year in the US.
Although routinely overlooked in the past, the women’s post-reproductive health landscape has shifted significantly in the last few years. Demonstrating immense potential for innovation and impact, investors are now recognizing the potential of the menopause care market, which represents a massive $131B opportunity.
How do you reach your core customer?
AF: Alloy is for anyone navigating the symptoms and challenges of perimenopause and menopause, and if you have ovaries and live long enough, you will not escape menopause.
Despite being a universal experience, menopause can feel isolating, and that needs to change.
A significant moment for us and a potential turning point in history, our first TV campaign was the first televised ad from a digital menopause healthcare company that spoke directly to women about their needs.
Through diverse efforts, we’ve been successful in building digital empathy, especially important for the midlife woman, who has been dismissed and ignored and feels invisible.
What’s next on the roadmap?
AF: We just introduced our new Weight Care Program—our biggest launch yet—which is keeping us on our toes.
Weight gain in menopause is extremely common (up to 70% experience it) but harder to manage with diet and exercise alone. As experts in menopause, we feel uniquely positioned to tackle this problem because we offer both Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and GLP-1 weight loss medications, a combination that can significantly boost weight loss results.
Since day one, we’ve been adamant about offering only scientifically validated solutions and products that work. With the launch of our Weight Care Program, we feel we’re another step closer to being the total holistic solution for women’s health and wellness throughout midlife.
We do have some more exciting launches in the pipeline for the second half of the year, but you’ll just have to stay tuned for that!
If you’re interested in having your company featured in our Q&A series, send an email to team@fitt.co.
