Health Tech of the Week: From App to Chatbot – How MAMENO is redefining perimenopausal care

Is technology female? It just might be. In the first July edition of Healthtech of the Week, we present MAMENO, a groundbreaking project led by two women: Aleksandra Laudańska, CEO of FemTechnology Group and the originator of the initiative, and Martina Tararuj. Their shared mission goes beyond technological innovation. I t’s about fundamentally changing the paradigm around menopause and women’s health in midlife.

What began as a mobile app supporting women during menopause is now evolving into a digital doula – an empathetic, AI-powered tool rooted in evidence-based knowledge.

Menopause affects up to 80% of women, yet remains a taboo topic. For many, it means a sudden decline in quality of life, physically, emotionally, and socially. This is where MAMENO comes in.

Aleksandra Laudańska emphasizes that from day one, the goal was education and improving women’s lives through personalized support. The project aimed to guide users with lifestyle medicine recommendations tailored to their health status, emotional state, and personal needs. At its core was to be an AI-based algorithm learning from symptom diaries and daily check-ins to deliver accurate, actionable insights.

But after four years of intense development and conversations with hundreds of women, the MAMENO team decided to pivot. The key insight? Women going through perimenopause don’t need another app. They need real hormonal support. Lifestyle adjustments, though essential, should be complementary, not central. Another turning point was the rapid rise of large language models (LLMs), which revolutionized how people access health information and make decisions. As a result, MAMENO transformed into a digital menopause doula – an intelligent chatbot that not only answers questions but also offers emotional support, education, and companionship through the transition.

Importantly, the chatbot’s content is based on verified sources, including Laudańska’s book „Menopause Biohacking: Understand the Change, Embrace It, and Thrive in Health” and the latest scientific research. The goal is to minimize AI “hallucinations”, misleading or false responses — by maintaining strict control over its knowledge base.

Digital trust and safe conversation space

One of MAMENO’s most striking insights is that women often feel safer and more open talking to a bot than to another human being.

– Anonymity, lack of judgment, and an empathetic tone with personalized dialogue create a space that encourages honesty and self-reflection. This is especially crucial when it comes to menopause, which for many remains a shame-laden, sensitive topic. Here, the chatbot acts as a mirror – a daily “check-in” that helps users notice patterns in symptoms and behaviors often overlooked in daily routines – explains Laudańska.

Developing a pioneering women’s health solution has not been without challenges. The first hurdle was social stigma – menopause is still seen as the domain of “older women” and largely absent from mainstream health discussions. Many women don’t even recognize the first hormonal shifts they’re experiencing.

The second barrier was the lack of understanding from investors and grantmakers. Women’s health, especially intimate health – is still perceived as a niche. Yet we’re talking about half the population and a massive, unmet need in healthcare. The third challenge was the pace of technological change. Digital health tools evolve so rapidly that what was innovative yesterday often needs to be reimagined today. The MAMENO team had to remain agile and unafraid to radically reinvent their own concept.

Although AI has the potential to play a vital role in prevention and health education, the MAMENO team stresses that it should not replace doctors or therapists. Data quality is key. Medicine has historically been biased toward the male body as the “default.” That’s why controlled, curated knowledge sources are crucial, as is combining AI with human traits like empathy, sensitivity, and relational understanding. In MAMENO’s vision, technology supports a woman’s relationship with herself, not replaces it.

A female perspective in medtech

MAMENO is also a statement in the ongoing conversation about the role of women leaders in medical technology. As Laudańska points out, women bring a unique perspective – greater sensitivity to patient needs, a deep understanding of life’s cyclical nature, and emotional nuance. This leads to more realistic, empathetic, and grounded products. Ironically, however, realism and specificity are often less appealing to investors than flashy, far-fetched visions. Though often more accurate and needed, the female approach requires more effort to break into the mainstream innovation space.

MAMENO is not just a technology project – it’s a call for systemic change in women’s healthcare. As a public health expert, Laudańska advocates that every woman over 45 should have access to coordinated medical care. A comprehensive health screening, specialists trained in hormone replacement therapy, dietitians, physical therapists, and mental health professionals should all be standard. Supporting women during menopause is an investment in long-term public health.

Menopause without taboo

In the next decade, the MAMENO team dreams of a world where menopause is no longer marginalized but fully integrated into healthcare systems. In their vision, a woman entering this stage of life will receive structured support, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and psychological care.

Like them, well-designed, evidence-based technology can make this journey more personal, less stigmatized, and far more effective. The digital menopause doula is just the beginning of a new era in women’s health, and here at Healthtech of the Week, we’re cheering them on.

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Stay tuned for more in the “Health Tech of the Week” series, where we’ll continue to uncover fascinating stories from the world of medical technologies that are changing the face of healthcare. If you’re working on an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine or want to recommend an interesting solution, contact us at: [email protected].