Prickly Pear Health will showcase its AI-powered brain health platform at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, addressing the critical gap in women’s healthcare during hormonal transition years. Founder Iman Clark’s company provides voice-first technology that helps women in their 30s to 50s navigate cognitive changes linked to hormonal fluctuations, aiming to detect early warning signs before they escalate into more serious conditions.
The Women’s Brain Health Crisis
Clark’s journey began with a stark realization while working with neurodegenerative disease patients. “I saw that 70% of the Alzheimer’s population are women,” she told TechCrunch. This discovery prompted deeper investigation, revealing that women face significantly higher risks for several brain-related conditions. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, women have a 1 in 5 lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s after age 65 compared to men’s 1 in 10 risk. The World Health Organization reports women are approximately twice as likely as men to experience depression and anxiety disorders.
Clark’s research at Arizona State University focus groups revealed a troubling pattern: women in their late 30s to early 50s frequently reported brain fog and mental fatigue, but often didn’t connect these symptoms to hormonal changes until their 60s. “They’re often dismissed or misdiagnosed when symptoms like brain fog, mood shifts, or irregular cycles first appear,” Clark explained. The North American Menopause Society confirms that up to 60% of women experience cognitive changes during perimenopause and menopause, yet these symptoms frequently go unaddressed in traditional healthcare settings.
AI-Powered Early Detection Platform
Prickly Pear Health’s technology represents a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive women’s healthcare. The platform uses voice analysis and biometric data integration to track cognitive changes in real-time. Users record daily voice reflections, while the AI analyzes language patterns, speech cadence, and contextual clues for subtle changes that might indicate cognitive shifts. The system integrates with popular health trackers including Apple Health, Oura, and Garmin to incorporate sleep data, heart rate variability, and activity metrics.
This multi-modal approach allows for personalized insights that help women understand how lifestyle factors affect their brain health. “We’re addressing that gap. Helping women recognize and act on early signals before they escalate into more serious health challenges later,” Clark emphasized. Unlike traditional menopause apps that primarily function as symptom trackers, Prickly Pear focuses on detection and prevention. The company launched a free version in May 2025 and plans to introduce premium offerings in October to coincide with both Mental Health Awareness Month and Menopause Awareness Month.
Funding Challenges and Founder Journey
Clark’s path to TechCrunch Disrupt reflects the broader challenges facing women founders in the health technology space. She raised a $350,000 pre-seed round, describing the process as “really hard,” particularly as a woman of color. “We had to be so good that you cannot be ignored,” she stated. This experience aligns with McKinsey research showing that women founders, especially women of color, receive disproportionately small percentages of venture funding despite demonstrating strong performance.
Clark’s strategy involved building relationships with investors well before seeking funding. “That’s a popular thing we say: ‘Ask for advice and you get business, ask for business and you get advice sometimes,'” she noted. The company name itself embodies resilience, inspired by the prickly pear cactus that thrives in harsh desert conditions while producing nutritious fruit. This metaphor extends to Clark’s vision for women navigating the challenging terrain of midlife hormonal changes while maintaining cognitive health and vitality.
The Future of Women’s Health Innovation
Clark sees TechCrunch Disrupt as a pivotal moment for advancing the conversation around women’s brain health. “Disrupt is the ultimate stage for new ideas,” she said, expressing excitement about connecting with “investors and partners who believe, like we do, that women’s health innovation is not niche, it’s the future of healthcare.” The femtech market is projected to reach $60 billion by 2027, yet brain health specifically remains significantly underserved despite its massive impact on women’s lives.
The timing coincides with growing recognition of women’s health disparities. The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research recently highlighted the urgent need for innovation in understanding women-specific health conditions. Prickly Pear Health represents exactly the type of targeted solution that could help bridge this gap, particularly for the 85% of women who report experiencing at least one menopausal symptom that affects their quality of life, according to recent studies.
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