Hologram Sciences hones in on personalized women’s health with new brand and partnership

24 Feb 2022 --- Hologram Sciences is rolling out its second consumer brand Phenology, which provides personalized care for women, especially around menopause. The DSM-backed start-up is also partnering with femtech start-up Inne, which has developed a non-invasive fertility monitoring system.

Phenology – first teased last week on DSM’s results day – offers advanced at-home diagnostics, hormone tracking and custom insights for women before, during and after menopause. The launch is initially taking place in North America. 

“North America is Hologram Sciences’ home market with existing well-served direct-to-consumer channels, where we can learn fast about what resonates most with our target consumers in terms of product mix, messaging and overall experience of the concept,” Ian Brady, Hologram Sciences’ CEO, tells NutritionInsight.

“Over time and building on our learnings, we can then expand our offering further into US channels and other markets through licensing and partnership opportunities.”

Unlocking personalized care
Users can follow personalized wellness programs that offer appropriate supplements and other health and beauty essentials. They also have access to one-on-one coaching and expert advice about menopause. 

“By paying careful attention to the right signs and signals, Phenology prepares you for what comes next, so you can embrace this new season and emerge your best self,” states the brand. 

“We uniquely target specific health concerns by combining proprietary diagnostic and symptom tracking technology with a targeted nutritional ingredient intervention,” adds Brady. 

Together, these are presented to the consumer through a guided, personalized digital experience.

An overlooked sector?
Hologram Sciences notes that the brand aims to advance science and subject matter expertise in an area largely overlooked by the medical profession.

“Women’s health, especially menopause, is an extremely important area for Hologram, not least because as well as being currently under-served, it is very amenable to a personalized, technology-based solution to improve its symptoms,” says Brady.

He continues that Phenology differentiates itself through a very broad offering of science-backed nutrition and personal care products to tackle not only classical symptoms such as hot flushes, but, perhaps even more importantly, mental well-being through relaxation, sleep and beauty. 

Other businesses have also been calling attention to the lack of solutions for those experiencing menopause. Kindra, which is backed by P&G Ventures, recently closed a US$4.5 million seed funding round to expand and grow its menopause offerings, aiming to drive a cultural shift.

Meanwhile, Hum Nutrition is launching Fan Club, an estrogen-free solution for managing perimenopause and menopause symptoms. The brand says it seeks to normalize the conversation on menopause and “help women feel informed and supported.”Hologram Sciences says it brings together science, technology and habit-building to create personalized solutions that drive lasting consumer relationships. 

Determining fertility via saliva
In another move for femtech, Hologram Sciences and Inne are teaming up in a move backed by strategic investment from DSM Venturing.

Inne’s novel diagnostic and tracking platform uses saliva to determine hormone levels in real-time. It also has wider potential applications for various health conditions, closely aligned with the Hologram Sciences roadmap.

The companies will work together on technological development for new analytes, as well as commercialization of the technology.

“Through Hologram’s support, we will be able to boost the development of our analytes and scale the at-home minilab for a range of concepts. Together we can help take away some of the mystique and apprehension many people feel when wanting to track personal health,” says Eirini Rapti, co-founder and CEO of Inne.

Non-invasive personalization
The importance of usable, convenient and non-invasive testing devices cannot be underestimated, argues Brady. He points out that until recently many diagnostics could only be reliably performed on blood. 

“Going forward [Inne’s biomarkers] will be key to the easy adoption of personalized nutrition solutions by consumers. We will be working tightly with Inne on integrating its platform as a crucial component in our concepts as we build a future of better-personalized health,” he adds. 

Last year, Hologram Sciences also launched d.velop, which targets immunity. Specifically, users can assess their vitamin D levels before receiving DSM’s “triple-speed” vitamin D supplement ampli-D. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell