Wearable of Relief: How EloCare Cools Hot Flashes and Collects Life‑Saving Data

Find out how a PhD biomedical engineer turned founder is building a wearable that cools hot flashes, collects real-world data and reframes menopause from “invisible problem” to solvable public-health priority.Today, we chat with Mabel Nguyen, co‑founder of Singapore’s EloCare, to unpack the science, product strategy and personal drive behind a startup creating wearable solutions for menopause. Mabel explains why menopause has been overlooked, why hot flashes matter far beyond a few uncomfortable moments, and how a combination of cooling technology and data collection can change diagnosis, care and daily life for millions of women. She shares the technical hurdles of building a new class of wearable, the trade-offs between clinical validation and rapid consumer launch, and the funding route that kept research alive through grants and early VC support. Along the way, Mabel offers candid founder advice about taking the first step, managing mental health during the grind, and what success will look like for her and her team. Let’s dive in!Key Takeaways:Find out why Mabel believes menopause is a public‑health problem, not just a personal discomfort, and what costs are hidden when hot flashes go untreatedLearn how combining cooling wearables with symptom‑tracking data could change how we recognize and treat menopauseDiscover the unexpected signals and noise that made lab-based hot‑flashes detection fail in real life, and how that led EloCare to reinvent its approachUnderstand why launching first as a consumer wellness product can accelerate iteration, even when clinical validation is a long‑term goalFind out how grants, university partnerships and early VC funding shaped EloCare’s R&D path and why each funding type matteredDiscover the habits that helped Mabel stay resilient and what she does to preserve mental health during the inevitable ups and downsUnderstand what “success” looks like for a Femtech innovator; is it scaling, clinical validation, or simply seeing your product help a woman live betterResources:Mabel Nguyen: LinkedInEloCare: LinkedInEloCare: https://www.elo.care/Maaike Steinebach : LinkedInWebsite Femtech Future https://www.femtechfuture.comInstagram Femtech Future: @femtech_futureMabel’s story is more than a product roadmap, it’s a reminder that quiet, widespread problems deserve bold, science‑backed solutions. From the lab benches of NUS to prototype bracelets and grant partnerships, this conversation shows how empathy, data and iterative design can turn menopause from an invisible burden into a measurable, treatable part of life. If you’ve ever felt ignored by health systems or wondered how founders build hardware that must also be trusted by clinicians and real people, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped to think differently about women’s health.If this episode moved you, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with a friend, give us a five‑star review to amplify women’s health stories, and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode that champions founders making real change. Thank you, and see you on our next episode!