It’s an age-old problem with age-old solutions.

Menstrual pain has existed for as long as women have been bearing children, yet there have been few, if any, effective solutions. Aside from drugs, a hot water bottle or—for those brave enough, grinning and bearing it—females are mostly left to their own devices to manage pain from their monthly cycles.

Even fewer options exist for taming the mood swings and emotional sensitivity that can precede a period (hormonal birth control for the most serious cases).

Technological advancements, however, could offer women relief from both the pain and emotional turmoil associated with their menstrual cycles.

United Kingdom-based Samphire Neuroscience is developing the world’s first medical-grade device for PMS and menstrual pain relief. The startup’s head-mounted wearable—Nettle—delivers small electrical pulses to regions of the brain associated with pain perception and mood regulation to reduce sensitivity and block pain signals. The device’s app provides neuroscience-supported content to help users better understand menstrual cycle science and its impacts.

Samphire Neuroscience hopes to eventually sell the wearable directly to consumers and to retail partners once it obtains CE Mark approval.

The firm fortified both its future and commitment to women’s health last week by capturing top honors at the 16th Healthcare Innovation World Cup, hosted at Medica 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

More than 340 applicants from 70-plus countries submitted proposals for this year’s World Cup competition. The contest’s organizers narrowed that total to 12 finalists chosen by a 10-member jury. The panel chose the top three based on innovation, go-to market strategy, commercial potential, and sustainability.

Runner-up to Samphire Neuroscience was Finnish startup MedicubeX, creator of autonomous self-check eHealth stations that measure basic vital signs as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes risks in just five minutes. The booths can be assembled in one day at any location and are automatically disinfected after each use. The company is active across Europe and has signed contracts in The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, and its home market.

Taking third place was Pheal GmbH, a German startup offering new wearable sensor patches that continuously monitor and analyze biomarkers to detect critical health events early, before symptoms appear. The firm’s modular platform combines sensors, materials, and software to create personalized patches for nearly every field—from healthcare to sports.

“The 12 finalists are already winners and please celebrate them that way,” Wearable Technologies CEO/master of ceremonies Christian Stammel stated before the competition. “Not one of them is a loser.”

The nine other “winning” finalists included:

• Alivion AG: – This Swiss company developed a portable device to measure the body’s fat burning capabilities with a single breath. Based on more than 15 years of research, Alivion SmartSelect provides near real-time, laboratory-level gas chromatography analysis through breath biomarkers. The company is hoping its technology will help users tailor their diets to better achieve their goals, whether it be weight loss, improved athletic performance, or longevity.
• Aram Huvis Co. Ltd.: Founded in 2002, this South Korean firm distributes skin and hair analysis devices to more than 70 countries as well as L’Oréal and P&G group. For the past nine years, the company has expanded its prowess to the healthcare sector, developing an AI-enabled scalp diagnosis/customized scalp cosmetics system. ItsAI-ScalpGrader provides users with information on scalp type, hair density, hair thickness, hair cuticle state, and color tone (skin and hair).
• Aspivix: The Swiss company focused solely on advancing women’s health partnered with Tia clinics earlier this fall to expand access to enhanced IUD procedures for women seeking care in nine Tia facilities )Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Ariz.). The company’s flagship product, Carevix, is a soft-suction cervical device designed as a more modern and gentler alternative to a cervical tenaculum when cervix stabilization is needed. The product is currently only sold in Switzerland but with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-clearance and CE Mark/MHRA-approval, other regions are likely to follow soon. Carevix has been clinically proven to be non-traumatic during transcervical procedures, according to the company.
• Aware Custom Biometric Wearables: With $20 million in funding from the U.S. Navy, the hearing aid industry, and consumer tech companies, this Atlanta, Ga.-based firm developed a patented, FDA-cleared 3D ear scanner that records brain activities. The scanner powers the Aware Hearable and Ear EEG, which features continuous biometric monitoring with electroencephalogram (EEG), photoplethysmogram, heart rate (EKG/ECG), oxygen saturation, core temperature, and bioimpedance. Aware’s deep-in-canal design captures medical-grade brain activity, ensuring consistent sensor placement and creating unique neural profiles.
• Bottneuro: This spin-off from Switzerland’s University of Basel develops customized neurostimulators and EEG devices for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Its 3D printed EEG headset allows up to 34 electrodes to be free placed according to any international EEG electrode system. Bottneuro’s EEG system is combined with precise head anatomy data, allowing EEG signals to be converted into neuroimaging modality using source localization algorithms.
• Dotspace Inc.: This Taiwanese company has developed the world’s smallest electronic capsule for measuring intra-abdominal pressure. PressureDOT is a smart, pill-sized capsule (billed as the world’s smallest) comprised of a pressure sensor, printed circuit board assembly, and a high-efficiency antenna that can safely be ingested and transmits readings. The capsule can be swallowed or delivered through a nasogastric tube. An external receiver system with a special antenna array tracks the capsule’s position and its movement through the body in real time.
• IntelVasc Inc.: The San Francisco-based company has gained notice for creating a remote vascular monitoring platform consisting of a sensor and a scanner. The latter component uses wireless energy to power the biosensor and retrieve patient data; it was crafted in part by biomedical engineers, surgeons and clinicians.
• SURAG Medical GmbH: This German startup’s technology non-invasively and continuously monitors minimally invasive procedures to improve both accuracy and patient safety. The technology works by detecting naturally-generated signals in surgical instruments and extracting relevant data from them to provide clinicians with real-time navigation support. SURAG’s solution can be used with standard instruments and those already in use.
• Syntropic Medical: The Austrian clinical-stage medical device firm has found a way to enhance the brain’s neuroplasticity through wearable light therapy. Touted as “morse code for the eyes,” the light stimulation activates neural remodeling by instructing the brain’s immune cells to support healing.