Innovator tackles menstrual cramps with ground-breaking device

A Montréal-based start-up is offering hope to women suffering from intense period cramps. Juno Technologies is developing an innovative solution that uses microelectronics to relax muscles and block pain signals.

After having suffered from bad period cramps, Nanette Sene is on a mission to ensure no woman has to miss out on daily activities because of her cycle.

Her ground-breaking work is developing a cutting-edge, wearable device that combines heat with microelectronics to quickly alleviate muscle cramps and menstrual pain.

Sene – who earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering at Polytechnique Montréal – is CEO and co-founder of the femtech startup Juno Technologies.

“Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) is a widespread problem affecting 80 percent of women globally, leading to lost productivity and absenteeism, and yet very few researchers are tackling it,” says Sene. Her investigation showed that although there are many studies on women’s moods during their menstrual cycles, only 0.1 percent of scientific articles deal with the issue of pain.

From personal experience to entrepreneurship

Frustrated by the lack of modern and effective solutions currently available, which typically range from bulky plug-in heating pads or microwavable compresses and anti-inflammatory medications to the birth control pill, Sene and co-founder Lynn Doughane decided to take matters into their own hands.

Their first-of-its-kind wearable device is rechargeable, offers long-lasting relief and, most importantly, is comfortable to wear under clothing. It discreetly adheres to the pelvic area of the abdomen, using microelectronics to relax the muscles and block pain signals from travelling to the brain.

“We are creating a solution for something that affects us directly, so we really understand the users and have them in mind with every decision we make,” says Sene. “We wouldn’t bring something to market that we wouldn’t use ourselves.”

Less than a year after launching Juno, named for the Roman goddess that symbolizes women’s health, fertility and childbirth, Sene is on track to have a working prototype ready this year. The Montréal company will launch its first tests involving 30 to 50 female patients in Lebanon (Doughane’s native country) shortly afterwards and is working on FDA and Health Canada approval as a class II medical device, with the goal of having a commercial product ready for market by the end of 2024.

“We’ve tested it on ourselves and our friends,” says Sene. “Now it’s about making sure the positive results we’re seeing apply to a larger population as well.”

Sene is one of five winners of the 2023 Mitacs Entrepreneur Award, in recognition of their efforts to turn their research into an innovative business that impacts the lives of Canadians. During a ceremony broadcast live from Waterloo, ON, Sene was also selected as the winner of the Audience Favourite Pitch Competition.

“Mitacs’ support was critical at the start of our journey,” Sene says. “It helped us define the first steps of product development, meet new partners and investors, and bring awareness to the under-served problem of menstrual pain.”

Mitacs’s programs receive funding from valued partners across Canada. We thank the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon for supporting us to foster innovation and economic growth throughout the country.

Do you have a business challenge that could benefit from a research solution? If so, contact Mitacs today to discuss partnership opportunities: BD@mitacs.ca