A few years ago, Victoria Finlay began experiencing a range of distressing symptoms that made it difficult for her to leave home. Despite multiple visits to specialists and hours spent searching “Dr Google” for information, Finlay couldn’t get a satisfactory explanation for why she felt so unwell.
Ultimately, it was a Facebook group that provided the answer. Reading what other women had written, Finlay realised she was in the throes of the perimenopause. She trawled for information to understand what was happening to her body but, having failed to find reliable, practical advice, she resolved to do something about it and the seeds for The MenoPal app were sown.
“Basically, clinicians were treating my symptoms separately. No one put them all together and realised they were due to the perimenopause,” Finlay says. “Having had to work this out for myself, I created the MenoPal so no other woman has to go through menopause alone. The MenoPal will empower women to manage their health journey and achieve better outcomes.”
The MenoPal is a personalised, AI-driven app that provides tailored health insights, proactive recommendations and tracking for more than 70 different reported menopause symptoms, including brain fog, sleep disturbance, hormonal-related acne and low mood. The app will be launched in the first quarter of 2025 to individuals but also to corporate customers as Finlay says companies have shown a keen interest in adding the app to their existing employee wellbeing initiatives.
“One in 10 female employees quits their job due to debilitating menopause-related symptoms and there is a cost to replacing them,” Finlay says. “Around 20 per cent experience problems at work due to menopause symptoms and there is a 6 per cent rise in the suicide rate in women aged between 45 and 54.
“I thought I was pretty well up, but I really didn’t know what was happening to me and I couldn’t find anywhere that provided the information I needed when I needed it.
“My husband and I both have digital/tech backgrounds so that was always going to be the route to market. Having decided to go for it, I joined the New Frontiers programme at the Synergy Centre at TU Tallaght to focus on fast-tracking the development of the app but also in order to access the tech start-ups ecosystem,” says Finlay, who is no stranger to start-ups having already founded a performance marketing company and a European fashion distribution business.
[ Menopause: ‘I genuinely believed I was slowly dying’Opens in new window ]
The MenoPal app has been developed at a cost of about €250,000 which has been self-funded. The company employs eight people and angel investment will be sought next year once the app builds up a critical mass of users. The app is applicable internationally and Finlay is initially targeting women in Ireland and Britain before moving on to the US. It costs €9.99 a month (or €99 a year) for symptom tracking, reporting, personalised insights and access to a support community of women at a similar point in their lives.
“We have now built a large data set of menopause and perimenopause information and trained the model to answer ‘ask me anything’ questions because I was so frustrated at not being able to get answers quickly. With MenoPal, the information is all in one place and at your fingertips,” Finlay says. “By using the app, women can keep track of how they’re feeling and can bring a physical record of their symptoms when they visit their GP, so the GP has concrete information to go on.
“There are trackers and other menopause apps on the market but they lack the advanced technology and innovation we’re developing,” Finlay adds. “The MenoPal differentiates itself through its use of AI, augmented reality and deep learning to deliver proactive care. In short, we are focused on creating a comprehensive, tech-enabled solution with proprietary IP that sets a new standard for personalised menopause care and support.”
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