Former creative agency executive Rebekah Brown visited her GP when she first started experiencing (peri)menopause symptoms aged 46. Because she was ‘too young’, her doctor couldn’t help her – and she wasn’t particularly inspired by the high-street pharmaceutical offering either.
“My doctor didn’t identify the early symptoms of perimenopause. I didn’t fit the profile. I was ‘too young’ and still having a regular cycle. I was advised to take ‘time out’ to address exhaustion and upweight my vitamin intake,” says Rebekah. “My experience isn’t unusual. Menopause simply isn’t well enough understood or researched. It is presented as an end-of-life category when it should be a midlife empowerment category.
“The options available to us have not kept pace with the way we live and how we see ourselves. Medical intervention can work wonders. But not everyone can or chooses to take them.”
Many will relate to Rebekah’s experience; in fact, research shows that around 75% will visit their doctors with symptoms, and three quarters will leave the surgery with nothing. When it comes to the menopause, what is already a difficult natural process is made significantly worse by stigma, lack of knowledge – and lack of treatment options.
However, Rebekah recently decided to channel her experience into creating a light at the end of the tunnel; during lockdown, she founded MPowder, and she’s confident it can act as a remedy for the 13 million who are currently menopausal in the UK.
MPowder offers a range of nutritional powders that tackle the hormonal changes that occur throughout the three stages of the menopause (peri, meno and post). The powders are plant-based and relieve symptoms at the same time as addressing nutritional deficiencies.
Following early victories like securing repeat customers and getting stocked on leading online beauty destination Cult Beauty, it has today been announced that MPowder has secured investment from Pink Salt Ventures, Founders Factory, and other strategic angels including Mumsnet cofounder, Carrie Longton - who has been vocal in her support of MPowder’s ‘genuine and serious mission’ - to the tune of £500K.
MPowder will use the investment to grow its team, scale powder production and build on trial protocols. It is currently participating in the Founders Factory Home & Hygiene accelerator programme, backed by Reckitt Benkiser (RB) - purveyors of Veet, Nurofen and Strepsils amongst other household names.
When I asked Rakesh Narayana, Global Director of RB Ventures, why MPowder was a worthwhile venture and why now was the right time to back it, he said:
“MPowder is at the forefront of a macro trend in the wellness space – to give women going through menopause access to information, advice and products tailored to them.
“The real USP we see in MPowder is the founder, Rebekah. She has a true passion is a force for good in helping women during this important life stage. Through combining this passion with RB Ventures' fight for access to make high-quality health, hygiene and nutrition a right, not a privilege, we're confident MPowder will be a hugely successful company disrupting the menopause sector.”
Taking a step back, it’s clear that this is a space is ripe for disruption; the vitamins, minerals and supplements industry is already seeing huge growth, and it’s unlikely MPowder will be the last to innovate towards better and more accessible menopause treatment in a market set to be worth over $5B by 2023.
