Transforming Menstrual Health: The Story of Asan

Menstrual health is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of global healthcare, marked by stigma, lack of resources, and limited accessibility to sustainable solutions. Asan, an innovative company is on a mission to change this narrative. By addressing period poverty, challenging cultural taboos, and offering an eco-friendly, reusable menstrual product, Asan is creating a profound impact on the lives of menstruators worldwide. This is the story of how Asan is redefining period care and breaking barriers for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

A Personal Mission to Address Global Menstrual Health Challenges

Asan was founded by Ira Guha, a Harvard University graduate student driven by a deeply personal mission to address global menstrual health challenges. Growing up in India, she witnessed firsthand the profound impact of period poverty and menstrual stigma on individuals and communities. Over time, she realized these issues extended far beyond developing countries, with menstruators everywhere struggling with sustainable, accessible, and stigma-free period care. This realization inspired her to develop the Asan menstrual cup — a safe, reusable, and user-friendly product — and to pair it with a commitment to educate communities and challenge harmful stigmas.

Revolutionizing Period Care with the Asan Menstrual Cup

The Asan menstrual cup is designed to be the world’s easiest-to-use menstrual cup, addressing key needs in period care:

- Safety: Made from medical-grade silicone, the cup is free from toxins and chemicals commonly found in pads and tampons.

- Affordability: At £25, the Asan cup can be reused for up to 10 years, offering a cost-effective alternative to disposable products.

- Sustainability: Each cup replaces over 2,500 tampons, making it the most environmentally friendly menstrual product on the market.

Asan serves a global market through direct-to-consumer sales on its website and Amazon, alongside wholesale partnerships with non-profits, female-worker factories, and governments. The company prioritizes underserved populations in developing countries, where period poverty is a significant issue. Through its “buy one, give one” model, every cup purchased funds the donation of a menstrual cup to someone in need, paired with menstrual health education. Recently, Asan has released a new free period tracking app, backed by Innovate UK’s Unlocking Potential Award, and developed in collaboration with Old St Labs. The app enables users to monitor their cycles, including phases, mood, flow, and symptoms, while providing real-time data on the environmental impact of their period product choices. Users can track their savings on period products, waste diverted from landfills, and CO2 emissions reduced by opting for eco-friendly alternatives, further aligning with Asan’s commitment to sustainability and empowerment.

Tackling Stigma and Driving Behavioral Change

The menstrual health industry faces several challenges, including cultural stigma, lack of education, and the behavioral shift required to adopt reusable products. Asan has addressed these issues through targeted awareness campaigns, comprehensive educational programs, and collaborations with NGOs. By highlighting the health, financial, and environmental benefits of the Asan cup, the company has successfully fostered trust and driven adoption across diverse communities.

Empowering Women and Protecting the Planet: Asan’s Impact

One of Asan’s most significant milestones is the distribution of its menstrual cups across more than 100 villages in Karnataka, South India. This initiative, the largest menstrual cup adoption program in the world, has lifted over 50,000 women out of period poverty, enabling them to attend school and work without disruption during their menstrual cycles. The program has also saved over $10 million in household spending on period products and averted over 200 tons of plastic waste from landfills. Another notable achievement came when London’s Evening Standard recognized the Asan cup as the #1 menstrual cup design globally in 2023 and 2024.

The Future of Menstrual Health: Trends and Innovations

Asan’s founder anticipates a significant shift in the menstrual health industry, with reusable products increasing their market share from the current 10% to 50% within the next decade. The growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly solutions, coupled with government initiatives to combat period poverty, will drive this change. The industry is expected to see innovations in product design, accessibility, and affordability, alongside the emergence of digital tools for menstrual health education. In line with these trends, Asan is launching a free period-tracking app in collaboration with Innovate UK. The app will help users better understand their menstrual cycles and track the environmental impact of their period products.

In conversation with Ira Guha, Founder of Asan

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

“Throw away all your biases! When I launched Asan, I thought we’d have faster adoption in cities with higher levels of education, and among older women and mothers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Rural women and teens have been the quickest to adopt the Asan cup, and the most curious and open to new innovations. Start with zero biases and work hard to understand your audience and customers.”

The Role of Tech4Eva

“Tech4Eva was the first accelerator I did, when Asan was pre-revenue. It helped me understand the global healthcare market and investment landscape. It was also a great opportunity to refine our business strategy and gain access to a network of individuals who are passionate about driving innovation in Femtech.”

Through its innovative products and unwavering mission, Asan is transforming menstrual health, breaking down barriers, and ensuring access to sustainable, stigma-free period care for menstruators worldwide.

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