breaking the taboo surrounding menopause in the workplace

Menopause can affect millions of women during their working lives, yet it is not often discussed and can be handled as a taboo. Vi, an innovative employee-benefit platform, leverages AI to empower women to gain more control over their health during this transitional period, providing personalized support and resources tailored to each woman's unique needs.

Main mockup - Vi x Supercharge case study
Main mockup - Vi x Supercharge case studyVi case study - womanVi assetVi asset
Vi asset

Transforming menopause with digital empowerment

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.

services
digital product strategy from go-to-market to continuous product growth
UX and visual design
data strategy
technology architecture
product marketing
generative AI use case mapping
deliverables
cross-platform application for employees
management area for company admins
design and implementation of a recommendation engine
generative AI menopause coach as a proof of concept
Vi asset

Combating menopause-driven workplace struggles silently affecting millions of women 

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.

Vi asset

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.

Harnessing the power of co-creation to tackle women’s real challenges

In full alignment with the venture builder's product development methodology, Supercharge provided valuable support to Vi across two distinct phases:

  • Initially, through robust co-creation efforts, we crafted multiple smaller prototypes. These prototypes served to validate the business model and to gather crucial initial user feedback regarding the value proposition and core pillars of the platform experience.
  • In a second phase, following multiple successful iteration rounds, we formulated a flexible product roadmap that facilitated a swift market entry with a pilot version through designing and developing their mobile app accompanied by a platform admin area. This roadmap further enables ongoing discovery, empowering the team to continually refine and enhance the platform's functionalities.
{ "changingThisBreaksApplicationSecurity": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/YzybndZtjw0?origin=m7wphueb9p.eu-central-1.awsapprunner.com" }

A digital ally to guide women through their individual menopause challenges

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:

  • Check your transition. To ensure users receive the most personalised assistance, they are directed to complete a brief dynamic intake process. This intake helps determine whether they are in the perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal phase. Upon completion, they promptly receive both immediate feedback and a comprehensive explanation of their current state.
Vi's tracking function
  • Mastering knowledge with mini-lessons. Following the intake process, personalized tips and concise educational materials are suggested to users. These bite-sized resources are designed to enhance their comprehension and address specific concerns they may have.
Vi's general information screen
  • Unlocking insights through regular tracking. In addition to consistently monitoring mental and physical symptoms, pinpointing triggering habits and daily behaviors empowers users to gain insights into the evolving patterns of their transition over time.
Vi's tracking function
Vi's tracking function
  • Guided by licensed experts… To enhance the personal touch within the app, users can access one-on-one discussions with licensed experts for digital therapy support.
Vi's expert function
  • …and Vera, the meno coach. Leveraging OpenAI's capabilities, we've introduced Vera, the ChatGPT-driven menopause coach. 

    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.

Vi's AI meno coach view

Embarking on a digital journey of women empowerment through menopausal preventive support 

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. 

Let’s talk about your future
Supercharge logo
The form is loading...

share this post on