AI-powered digital health platform addresses cognitive wellness during the menopausal transition, backed by Bayless Ventures and AZ Venture Capital Inc.
PHOENIX, Feb. 20, 2025 — Prickly Pear Health, a digital health company focused on brain health during the menopausal transition, announced today that it has secured institutional pre-seed funding led by Bayless Ventures and AZ Venture Capital Inc. The company has surpassed its initial funding target of $250,000, with strong potential to double this figure by Q1 2025.
Credit: Samantha Asher Photography
“Securing institutional backing this early in our journey validates both our mission and market opportunity,” said Imen Maaroufi Clark, Founder and CEO of Prickly Pear Health. “This investment accelerates our ability to address the critical gaps in menopausal health support, particularly around cognitive and neurological wellness.”
The funding round attracted notable investors and advisors, including AZ-VC (Arizona’s largest venture capital fund), Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey, Neurooncologist at Mayo Clinic; Dr. Heidi Jannenga, Co-founder of WebPT; and Ginny Wright, CEO of Audemars Piguet, Americas. This early institutional support positions Prickly Pear Health as Arizona’s leading femtech startup.
“Prickly Pear Health represents exactly what we look for in early-stage investments,” said James Goulka, CEO and President of AZ Venture Capital Inc. “The combination of a compelling founder story, clear market need, and innovative technology solution presents an exceptional opportunity to transform women’s health.”
Clark’s journey to founding Prickly Pear Health began in North Africa, where she witnessed her mother’s struggles with surgical menopause following an emergency postpartum hysterectomy. This personal experience, combined with her background in technology, drove her to develop solutions for the often-overlooked cognitive and neurological aspects of menopausal transition.
“Issues like brain fog and memory deficits due to hormonal fluctuations are affecting the 28 million women currently in menopausal transition and will continue to grow by 2 million per year,” said Dr. Heidi Jannenga. “With their innovative technological platform, Prickly Pear is poised to help women not just tolerate, but thrive during and beyond their reproductive years with their evidence-based approach to navigating these transition periods. I proudly support Imen as a female founder transforming the brain health approach.”
The platform is leveraging the latest advancements in AI to address hormonal fluctuations’ impact on brain health, particularly during the menopausal transition, and provide personalized insights and recommendations. Prickly Pear Health is redefining how women navigate this inevitable life transition. Currently in closed beta, Prickly Pear is actively developing partnerships with healthcare providers and research institutions to expand its impact.
About Prickly Pear Health
Prickly Pear is a NextGen digital health solution designed to champion brain health during and beyond reproductive years. By integrating conversational AI, behavioral analytics, and wearable technology, the platform delivers personalized insights to support emotional well-being, mental clarity, and cognitive resilience, particularly for women in the menopausal transition. By fostering sustainable lifestyle modifications, the platform empowers them to fuel cognitive performance and optimize overall well-being. To learn more, visit https://pricklypear.io/.
About Bayless Ventures
Bayless Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on disruptive healthcare technology and technology-enabled services. The firm invests and advises companies from incorporation through Series A funding round. Bayless Ventures is dedicated to supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders that will create a positive shift in the healthcare industry. To learn more about Bayless Ventures, please visit https://baylesshealthventures.com/.
About AZ Venture Capital Inc.
AZ Venture Capital Inc. is an Arizona venture capital fund that invests in pre-seed through Series B rounds of funding of early-stage Arizona startups and early growth companies that solve important customer problems. They invest in software; IT hardware; health tech, including medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics; and green tech. AVC has a particular focus on bringing its own and other equity capital sources to founders from traditionally underserved communities. For more information, visit: https://azventurecap.com/.
SOURCE Prickly Pear Health
