There are few solutions for relieving menstrual pain. It’s not a subject of great interest to the scientific community. Yet every month, millions of women are afflicted.
This observation prompted Nanette Sene to look into the matter while studying mechanical engineering. “It’s a widespread problem, but one for which treatments are limited. There are only two options for relieving menstrual pain: either medication or a heating pad,” she notes, noting that these solutions are not entirely satisfactory, yet pain affects 80% of women, and 5-10% of them find their daily lives disrupted as a result. The entrepreneurship courses she took as part of her Masters in Engineering convinced Nanette Sene to go into business to offer an alternative to existing treatments. Another engineering student, Lynn Doughane, joined her in the project, and together they founded Juno Technologies, a young company incorporated in June 2022.
Practical, discreet and without side effects
Juno Technologies aims to offer a compact, discreet, portable and wireless device that rapidly alleviates menstrual pain. This technology combines the two co-founders’ knowledge of physiotherapy, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Supported by Centech, they are currently prototyping their innovations.
“We have designed a first version of our product and are about to start testing it. This technology relieves cramps by generating local numbness after a few minutes. You can wear the device and take it everywhere with you, and unlike drugs, it has no side effects,” explains Nanette Sene.
Since this is a medical product, you’ll need to follow the prescribed process to obtain authorization from Health Canada. However, the co-founder hopes to bring the product to market as early as 2025.
Bursary winner
The start-up recently received a major financial boost. Juno Technologies won the PME MTL bursary as part of the pitch competition at the Grande Rencontre de la Relève d’Affaires de Montréal presented by the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal.
The $20,000 will be used to support the research and development of the device, and to keep the project moving forward.
To guide her along this path, Nanette Sene keeps in mind a piece of advice she received as part of her entrepreneurship courses during her master’s degree. “We were taught to focus on the problem rather than the solution. The solution may evolve over time and take various forms, but what really keeps us on track is the problem to be solved,” she assures us.
Juno Technologies received support from the experts at PME MTL for its development and search for financing.
