Shining a Light on Women’s Health: Luise Müller and Dana Aronovici’s Journey on Taking on Endometriosis

By Grace Williams | Berlin Founders Fund

In a world where women’s health is often overlooked or underfunded, two women have been on a mission to change the game. Meet Dana and Luise, two of our Berlin Founders Fund founders of FemXX, a health tech startup dedicated to empowering women with Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is an often very painful chronic disease where tissue similar to the linen of the uterus grows somewhere else and creates pain and tension there. The most typical symptoms are really painful cramps during your menstruation, but also, bladder problems, digestion problems, and most of all, infertility. Endometriosis is in 50% of all infertility cases, Luise explained to me during our interview.

The disease affects more than 10% of people with a uterus, but there is very little research and knowledge about how to treat or cure the disease.

The co-founders realized that women with endometriosis have a lot of experiences and knowledge to share, but they don’t have a voice and their data is not available. Their product is designed to offer support to countless women who are grappling with the challenges of endometriosis. It’s a blend of a compassionate community and an extensive database of information.

Watch their interview video here:

By gathering and organizing the first-hand experiences of women with this disease, their platform enables users to search and filter the database, allowing them to draw comparisons and gain emotional support in the shared experiences of others. This invaluable resource serves as a beacon of hope for women with endometriosis, providing them with the support and guidance they need to navigate their personal journeys.

“We connected right away over our passion for feminism. We want to create a more equal world where people are not left out or not listened to because of their gender or whatever attributes. That really connected us. How is it possible that’s such a disease that is affecting so many people is so underrepresented? The topic of underrepresentation really got us hooked!”

Luise

Dana, who originally comes from Italy but was born in Israel, has a Computer Engineering Bachelor’s degree from Italy and a Master’s degree in Robotics from Switzerland. Her interest in the medical field was sparked by her previous job, where she worked in a company that produced robots for the rehabilitation of paralyzed patients. Luise, on the other hand, previously worked in the chocolate confectionary industry and has experience in building communities, before co-founding FemXX.

What was your experience with BFF?

Our experience with BFF is a great one, Dana says, “We felt really empowered and that we were really owning our startup and project. The team is always there if you need any kind of help, from mentoring on really important topics, organizational things to personal things. We had really great experiences with the mentors, they helped us with many topics, from storytelling to business models, to marketing.” Luise adds, “We like everyone who works at Silicon Allee, and also the other teams, there’s not startup arrogance, everyone is super friendly and open.”

Dana and Luise discussed their startup journey and the challenges they faced. They talked about the lack of research and knowledge about endometriosis, which is a big problem that they are trying to solve.

I asked them what they thought each other’s superpower was…

Luise’s superpower is her way of thinking deeply about everything she does and understanding people. She doesn’t look at the facts and react impulsively like me! Luise tries to understand the reasons behind people’s behaviour, which makes her a great team leader and anything she wants to be really!

Dana

Dana’s three superpowers are, optimism, she has pulled us out of situations with her positivity, and she always has the spirit to get back up. Pragmatism, if we are getting too much in our head, Dana has the ability to see a path through that. And confidence, I really admire her confidence.

Luise

What do you do in your free time?

I have another side of me, Dana explains, I love music and I love singing. I sing in my free time, it really helps me to de-stress. I love Beyonce, she is my queen!

Luise prefers listening to podcasts, “one I really love is called role models, it’s about women who have done something really cool and are role models to others. Definitely recommend.”

“This afternoon we are actually recording a podcast with Misinformed, a great podcast from Berlin.” Listen to Luise and Dana here!

We’re so proud of what Dana and Luise have achieved with FemXX in helping women suffering from endometriosis. They have built valuable resource which is helping to raise awareness about the disease.

Thank you to both, we wish you good luck for the future!

Luise Müller LinkedIn

Dana Mihal Aronovici’s LinkedIn

FemXX Website


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The Berlin Founders Fund is financed through funds from the European Union (European Social Fund) and the State of Berlin.