Hyivy Health (pronounced Hi-ivy) is a Canadian medical device company created by Rachel Bartholomew after her recent fight with cervical cancer. Hyivy Health has created a pelvic rehabilitation system for women dealing with hypertonic pelvic floor (or a too tight pelvic floor) caused by a diagnosis such as endometriosis, pelvic based cancers, menopause, post-partum, and painful sex.
1 in 3 women are dealing with non-curable, pelvic health related conditions. These women live with multiple symptoms which all directly impact their quality of life, day to day activities and overall wellbeing.
Hyivy Health’s innovation, Floora™, is a pelvic rehabilitation vaginal dilator performing hot and cold therapy, self-lubrication, and auto dilation that are used in combination with biosensors, which are collecting the first ever data set on the pelvic floor. This data is tracked using patient mobile application and remote patient monitoring, clinician software portal for professionals like OBGYNs and pelvic floor therapists.
Why the UK?
Pelvic health conditions that cause acute, chronic, and debilitating pain affects millions of women at any age costing them money, time, and more importantly – quality of life, and the UK is no exception. Hyivy Health’s approach to innovating the pelvic health system fits perfectly with the mandate of the NHS to ramp up the pace and scale of change. The introduction of Hyivy’s groundbreaking technology will transform the standard of care, and provide a data-driven, clinically validated approach to pelvic health to patients and clinicians across the UK, delivering better outcomes for patients.
Participation in the Propel@YH Boot Camp
Hyivy joined the Propel@YH Canadian Boot Camp accelerator programme in July 2023, which is supported by the Department of International Trade, Barclays Eagle Labs, Nexus, University of Leeds, Hill Dickinson, Leeds City Council and Leeds Teaching Hospital Trusts’ Innovation Pop Up. The week-long intensive programme supported Canadian-based innovators with a desire to bring their products to the UK healthcare market.
Along with other participants, the programme provided the company with five days of intensive support through a range of masterclasses, workshops and networking events, helping to develop their understanding of NHS government, finance and procurement frameworks, and clinical safety and supplier regulations. The programme also introduced them to key NHS stakeholders, connecting them with the right support to evaluate the value of their technology and suitability for the UK market.
How did the Propel@YH Boot Camp programme help?
The Propel@YH Boot Camp was an essential key to opening multiple doors for Hyivy Health to bring their pelvic health rehabilitation system to the UK. The programme was an ultimate crash course in refining their messaging for the market, identifying key players, growth and spread, governance, funding and finance, regulation, and understanding the history and landscape of the NHS.
Propel@YH provided several instrumental introductions and relationships with stakeholders across clinical research, banking, and legal. As a result of the programme, Hyivy Health has officially opened a subsidiary in Leeds and is in several exploratory talks for clinical trials with key partners including the University of Leeds and the University of Sheffield. The programme delivers huge benefits, both to patients, through use of the latest technology, and to the region, through the inward investment it secures.
What’s next for Hyivy?
Hyivy Health is going to be the first company to ever collect both subjective and objective data on the pelvic floor. They’ll be revolutionizing and improving health outcomes for patients as well as supplying clinicians and researchers all over the world with an effective, efficient, clinically validated, and data-driven way to treat and further understand pelvic health.
They look forward to continuing to leverage the relationships and resources provided by the Propel@YH programme to improve the lives of women across the UK and beyond.
Rachel Bartholomew, CEO, Hyivy Health said:
“Now is the time to bring better pelvic health solutions to the UK for the 1-in-3 women living with pelvic pain. The Propel@YH Boot Camp provided Hyivy with support understanding the unique needs of the NHS, as well as providing useful introductions to key NHS stakeholders so we could bring our groundbreaking technology to transform the standard of care, and provide a data-driven, clinically validated approach to pelvic health to patients and clinicians across the UK.”