Menopause can affect millions of women during their working lives, yet it is not often discussed and can be handled as a taboo. Vi is an employee-benefit platform that helps women to gain more control over their health in this transitional period.
Within the realm of addressing health-related challenges associated with retirement age, a corporate venture builder has been established by a leading Dutch insurance company. This initiative is dedicated to fostering the development of digital products that empower customers to access essential support during this critical phase of life. Vi, a promising pre-seed stage startup nurtured by this innovative endeavor, exemplifies a true dedication to these objectives.
In a collaborative effort, Supercharge has partnered with Vi during its initial validation phase and crafted a pilot platform designed to facilitate market validation and pave the way for future scaling opportunities.
With the successful launch of our partnership, hundreds of women in the Netherlands have already signed up to improve their menopausal journey with Vi. Moreover, they have become our health ambassadors, actively contributing to our ongoing learning process. Their real-world experiences in work environments help us continuously refine and implement new platform features and requirements, ensuring our tool caters to the needs of women facing these challenges.
The natural transition through the menopausal period is not a uniform experience. Associated symptoms vary person to person and extend well beyond occasional hot flashes. It can give rise to issues such as insomnia, anxiety, and a host of numerous physical and mental challenges. Working under these conditions, especially at an age when women’s talent and skills are highly prized, can result in diminished productivity, reduced job satisfaction, and an overall decline in well-being.
In the past years there has been a blooming recognition of the importance of menopause awareness in the workplace. Organisations and employers have started to acknowledge the significant connection of their employee’s wellbeing and their productivity.
Vi is dedicated to becoming a comprehensive well-being platform, empowering women in the workforce to thrive at every age while fostering a culture of care within organisations.
With an advanced symptom tracking module, data-driven insights, and personalised educational resources, every user receives tailored support throughout this transformative phase of life. Furthermore, licensed menopause therapists are readily available to assist individuals in navigating the burdensome physical, mental, and social challenges.
In full alignment with the venture builder's product development methodology, Supercharge provided valuable support to Vi across two distinct phases:
Throughout our discovery phase, we defined explicit product objectives aimed at empowering women.
Our objectives revolve around providing valuable and engaging learning materials to enhance their knowledge on the topic, offering data-driven insights into their own bodies, and facilitating connections with a network of certified therapists.
To bring these objectives to life, we identified and created distinct product pillars:
The AI can assist users with any custom health and wellbeing-related questions flexibly, no matter how it’s phrased. Beyond answering questions, the coach can also offer emotional support and provide advice on coping strategies for dealing with emotional challenges associated with menopause. Whether about mood swings, stress reduction techniques, or promoting mental well-being, the AI coach can offer personalized lifestyle recommendations based on the users’ problems and questions.
Of course, AI has its boundaries when it comes to healthcare advice, therefore, we paid special attention to setting its limits and guiding the AI on what topics it provides assistance and when the user should be advised to turn to GP or a menopause consultant.
Through a collaborative effort with Vi and our international offices, the successful completion of this pilot phase represents a major milestone. Yet it marks just the beginning of our journey towards fostering more diverse and inclusive workplaces through digital products. We are thrilled to further collaborate with Vi in integrating menopausal preventive support into employment conditions across the Netherlands.
