London-based menstrual health company DITTO has raised $6m in a seed funding round led by FoodLabs, as it looks to scale its evidence-based supplement range and expand its clinical research programme.
Founded by neuroscientist and nutrition scientist Alice van der Schoot and former L’Oréal Brand Director Adam Kugler, DITTO combines research, community insight and targeted nutritional solutions for menstrual health.
The company said the funding will support further research projects, the expansion of its science-led supplement portfolio and efforts to reach more consumers.
Evidence-backed products set to define the next generation
The investment comes as the women’s hormonal supplements market continues to grow, with the global category forecast to reach $7.5bn by 2030.
However, DITTO founder and Chief Scientist van der Schoot believes the next generation of successful brands will need to move beyond broad, generic approaches to women’s health.
“Women’s health has many distinct and complex subsections — different conditions, different symptoms, different underlying biology and different life stages — each deserving targeted, expert-level supplements,” she told Nutraceutical Business Review.
Van der Schoot said that while specificity will be important, it must be underpinned by evidence, particularly as consumer trust in the supplement sector comes under increasing scrutiny.
The next generation of successful supplement brands will be those that combine both: specificity and product-level clinical evidence.
Boosting absorption and efficacy
DITTO’s first product, Premenstrual Daily, is designed to support women experiencing menstrual cycle-related symptoms, including those associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
The company says its formulation combines ingredients selected for their evidence base with a proprietary nutrient delivery technology and has been evaluated in a clinical trial of the finished product.
According to DITTO, 88% of women in the trial experienced significantly reduced symptoms.
Van der Schoot said the formulation's delivery system is designed to address a challenge associated with conventional multi-nutrient supplements, where nutrients may compete for the same transporters in the gut and potentially affect absorption.
Not yet a Subscriber?
This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Nutraceutical Business Review.
Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.
