Juno wins the 2ᵉ edition of Pitch4Good! It is a pitch competition for solutions in science and/or technology for and by women.
Being a woman scientist and going into business remains a difficult exercise in 2023. But this is the challenge that the five scientists took up during the Pitch4Good competition on February 7.
THE WINNER: Nanette Sène / Juno Technologies
Sometimes we still have the impostor syndrome,” says Nanette Sène. We feel different from others, as a businesswoman and as a scientist. Yet, the co-founder and CEO of Juno wins the 2ᵉ edition of Pitch4Good. This pitch competition, organized by Maison Notman and Esplanade Québec, highlights solutions in science and/or technology for and by women. The young engineer, a graduate of Polytechnique Montreal, has developed a compact and discreet rechargeable battery-powered portable device that eliminates menstrual pain instantly and over long periods of time by combining heat and electrical stimulation. She won a $5,000 scholarship offered by the National Bank.
“There are few solutions developed for problems that are typically female. If we don’t develop our solution, it will never see the light of day,” justifies Ms. Sène, who wants to invest in this $11.5 billion market by 2021.
The next steps for Juno are to raise funding and obtain Health Canada approval. and, most importantly, “to find spaces where people are willing to hear about menstruation. We want to open up the dialogue about the taboo subject of menstruation.”
Because its solution also has a social mission. Juno’s CEO adds, “Menstrual pain represents a lost year for 80% of women worldwide.
