Issue No. 276: In Sync

A proactive care plan for health, longevity, and performance.

Women’s health is evolving.

Off-Balance

Shifting the status quo, more women are opting out of children and working longer — but healthcare hasn’t caught up.

Women’s health receives 2% of healthcare venture capital and 4% of biopharma R&D dollars, with funding disproportionately focused on contraception, reproduction, and nursing.

Treated as niche, women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, costing the global economy $1T annually.

But in a world where men make ~90% of investment decisions, women’s bodies remain taboo.

Leaning In

Making progress, US women’s healthcare investments hit a record $3.3B in 2022, but there’s more work to be done.

Beyond pregnancy, uterine health remains overlooked, despite being a key predictor of lifespan.

Up to 90% of women experience dysmenorrhea, but many don’t report it out of shame, lack of knowledge, or fear of dismissal.

A cyclical problem, lack of research fuels stigma, stigma promotes silence, and silence creates care gaps.

Hormonal Fitness

Chasing personalized hormonal health, more women are using wearable tech, at-home tests, and cycle-tracking apps to unlock physiological insights.

Collectors club. Democratizing data, Hormona delivers real-time lifestyle guidance while Wild.AI designs hormone-based training plans.

Looking long-term, Apple is working with Harvard to link menstrual patterns to health outcomes, while WHOOP studies the effects of exercise.

But more immediate, actionable support is needed.

Menstruation. One in four girls miss school or take meds for menstrual symptoms.

Dismantling stigma, August, Rael, and The Honey Pot deliver endocrine-safe feminine care. Flagging abnormal symptoms, Somedays sells menstrual relief, while gynae company Daye augments CPG with a virtual period pain clinic.

Endometriosis. Affecting one in 10 women, endometriosis takes ~10 years to pinpoint.

Supporting faster diagnoses, Allara offers membership-based hormonal care, Heranova Lifesciences collected $13.5M for noninvasive tests, and NextGen Jane is turning tampons into diagnostics.

Menopause. 17% of women have quit or considered quitting their job due to menopause.

Creating co-pilots, Elektra Health provides “menopause doulas,” while Midday syncs biometrics for symptom management. Leveraging nutrition, Lifesum offers hormonal meal plans, while Embr Labs built a cooling wearable for hot flashes.

Thinking bigger, Oviva is on a mission to extend lifespan by making menopause optional.

Caution Signs

Still in the early stages, some DTC tests are making unsubstantiated claims, and growth-oriented clinics may have misaligned incentives.

But, their potential to transform women’s care—if done right—can’t be dismissed.

Punchline: Fighting for change, female-focused startups are pushing for more funds, studies, and strategies to support every age and stage. As data and insights build, women’s health questions may finally get some answers.

🎙 On the Podcast

Bold co-founder & CEO Amanda Rees discusses fitness-based healthy aging.

Tailored to older adults, Bold’s digital exercise programs build strength, ease pain, and prevent falls. Partnering with Medicare, the platform delivers fitness to an underserved demographic.

We also cover: Amanda’s experience as a caregiver and fitness instructor, the importance of fall prevention, and capturing healthcare dollars.

Listen to today’s episode here.

🆕 FitLab’s XPT readies first brick-and-mortar studio

The training program created by husband-and-wife pro athletes Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece will open its first “performance wellness” studio in Newport Beach, CA.

Hot and cold. Born out of the duo’s daily routines, XPT Studio builds on the brand’s app, retreat, and certification business.

Adding physical locations, private and group classes will offer guided ice bath, sauna, and breathwork experiences for goal-oriented outcomes.

Powered by FitLab’s integrated platform—which recently added Assault Fitness and partnered to launch Nike Studios—XPT is built to scale.

Taking the plunge. But, with cold plunge-sauna combos in demand, it won’t be alone.

Social wellness club Remedy Place is adding outposts while entering at-home recovery.
Expanding from Toronto, Othership will open its first NYC social bathhouse this June.
SAUNA HOUSE is leveraging franchising to grow its communal bathing footprint.

Elsewhere… Pause, Perspire, SweatHouz, iCRYO, and others are racing to expand IRL locations.

Takeaway: As competition heats up, XPT Studio plans to go beyond break-fix recovery by making high-performance wellness a proactive pursuit.

Presented by Lifeforce

💪 Peak Performance For Life

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Empowered by biometric data, expert recommendations, a dedicated care team, and clinical-grade nutraceuticals — you can age with intention.

Don’t settle for feeling average: measure your baseline today.

🗑 Microplastics are a major problem

A study in NEJM correlated the presence of plastic in blood to early death.

Microplastics were present in 58% of patients undergoing carotid artery surgery.
Those affected were 4.5x more likely for heart attack, stroke, or death post-surgery.

Red flags. Providing convenience and affordability, petroleum-based plastic is everywhere. But, its strength is a weakness — it takes hundreds of years to break down.

Worse, as it deteriorates, tiny particles seep into the environment, contaminating our food and water supply.

Under the microscope. Experts are beginning to explore the effect of accumulation in the body.

Brain-lodged microplastics create behavioral problems and inflammation in mice.
Concentrations in fecal matter of IBS patients were significantly higher than standard.
Particles were found in every placenta tested, with unknown effects on maternal and fetal health.

While more research is needed, early studies have linked microplastics to everything from cancer to infertility.

Looking ahead: Our world is becoming more toxic, meaning basic human needs—like fresh air and safe sustenance—will sadly become premium products.

📰 News & Notes

Xponential’s CycleBar enters VR fitness.
Rich Roll launches new podcast creator network.
WHOOP, barre3 link up to quantify barre workouts.
Aescape debuts automated massage bed, teams with Equinox.
Oura targets Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Circular in ITC patent suit.
Kaia Health adds pelvic floor support to its digital pain management app.
Functional fitness outfitter Hyperwear unveils next-gen rucking backpack.
ULTRA CLUB readies high-end padel flagship in Miami. [Re-read: Padel’s Rise]
Blueshift Nutrition signs supplement distribution deal with Xponential Fitness.
Lance Armstrong’s NEXT VENTURES eyes $100M fund for whole-person health.
Lilly, Amazon Pharmacy partner to deliver weight loss drugs. [Re-read: DTC Shots]
Under Armour founder returns, Outdoor Voices shutters stores in activewear shakeup.
Changing careers? Land your dream health and fitness job or join our free talent network. Hiring? Enlist our recruiters for your search.

💰 Money Moves

Stockholm-based longevity club Sand Clinic secured a €4M investment from Spotify co-founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon for 50% of the company.
Employee-focused mental health company Journey acquired AI-driven emotional wellness platform Felt (fka Mine’d).
Organic baby food brand Amara raised $20M in an oversubscribed Series B round led by HumanCo Investments.
Healthy fast casual concept Shake Smart received an undisclosed investment from PE firm NewSpring.
Dallas-based longevity clinic Formula Wellness landed undisclosed funding from Trive Capital.
Jukebox Health, a company modifying homes to help Americans age in place, added an undisclosed investment from Home Depot Ventures.
KUDO Snacks, maker of keto-friendly protein popcorn, secured $2.1M in new funding.

Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.