Listen to this article
Below is our recent interview with Shardi Nahavandi, Co-Founder and CEO at Tuune:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: Tuune is a personalized women’s healthcare company that is committed to providing every woman with the healthcare access they deserve starting with their hormones. We provide contraceptive care that takes into account each individual’s physical, mental and emotional symptoms and provides solutions that produce fewer side effects and increased quality of life.
Q: Any highlights on your recent announcement?
A: Tuune announced the closing of a $4.6M fundraising round to launch in the U.S. market. The investment, led by venture capital firm Octopus Ventures, will pave the way for Tuune to transform the future of healthcare for all women and people with cycles. Of note, majority of the initial investors in Tuune are women, including Rebecca Hunt, early stage investor at Octopus Ventures and Eileen Burbidge, partner at Passion Capital, alongside side prominent female angel communities, such as Atomico Angels, emphasizing the importance female investors have had in propelling the femtech industry forward.
Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering?
A: Tuune helps women choose a contraceptive that’s exactly right for her needs and her body. It starts with a 30- to 45-minute personalized online assessment that gives women the opportunity to detail their symptoms, whether it’s mood swings, anxiety, or one of the 100s of other hormone-related symptoms. Women can also take an at-home hormone test to get a deeper understanding of how their hormone levels might be impacting them. This personalized approach allows Tuune to prioritize the symptoms that matter most to each woman, whether physical, mental, or emotional. Finally, Tuune’s proprietary algorithm recommends a method of contraception that’s based on each woman’s needs. This includes non-hormonal solutions. All recommendations are reviewed by a team of physicians.
Q: What can we expect from your company in next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: Tuune will be launching its first product in the U.S market later this year inclusive of:
Tuune’s personalized online visit: Everyone will go through a personalized consultation depending on their unique circumstances. Unlike traditional doctors’ consultations, we don’t rush this. At Tuune, every detail is important – we want to truly get to know each woman.
Optional hormone test: Not everyone needs a hormone test, but if you would like to have more information and data backing up your analysis, Tuune’s at-home hormone tests will allow you to gain a deeper understanding into how your hormone levels might be influencing how you feel, highlighting potential hormone-related issues and also showing you what might not be affecting you. The cherry on top is that even our hormone tests are personalized – individuals will have different tests based on their unique needs and profile.
Personalized recommendation: The personalized recommendation is created by Tuune’s data-driven proprietary algorithm, which dismisses the bias that currently exists within the medical system and considers all available contraceptive methods including non-hormonal solutions such as fertility awareness methods. The recommendations are always reviewed by physicians before being presented to women. We provide evidence-based actionable plans based on individual physiology, habits and personal preferences and apply the highest quality control and data security protocols to our systems.
Prescription or referral: If you are happy with your recommendation, Tuune will provide you with a prescription. If it’s a non-prescription method such as one of the non-hormonal contraceptives, we will make the right referrals for you so you don’t have to worry.
Follow Up: We are with you every step of the way and will reach out every few weeks to make sure you are settling in nicely with your current contraceptive.
Q: What is the best thing about your company that people might not know about?
A: The inspiration behind Tuune came out of my own personal experience. In my 20s I was suffering from a series of debilitating health problems. I saw more than 20 doctors and underwent multiple tests. Ultimately, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. This turned out to be a misdiagnosis—I actually had a hormonal imbalance. This set me on a path to try and understand my own hormonal health. I took on two additional health degrees to find out what was really happening with my health. This experience taught me that the impact of hormones have long been undervalued. And women don’t always think of their hormones as the cause of medical problems. I saw an opportunity to use technology to better respond to women’s hormonal needs and provide them with the best quality of life. Tuune grew out of this.
