Menopause startup Womeno wins Forbes Social Innovation Award
In a moment when entrepreneurship is often celebrated purely as business growth, social innovation brings the focus back to its original meaning — from the French entreprendre: “to undertake.” The recent winner of the “Social Innovation Award” by Forbes Bulgaria, Womeno, embodies this idea in practice: a startup that has taken on the challenge of making the menopausal journey more visible, understood, and supported. In a society where female health issues are still underdiscussed and underserved, Womeno is addressing a critical gap.
Womeno’s vision and mission
Womeno aspires to be more than an app – a holistic assistant for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. From educational resources to access to selected health professionals, nutritionists, and coaches, Womeno aims to provide personalised support. Founded by Kalina Milanova, the startup is deeply rooted in real-life experiences: many women around the world, not just in Bulgaria, go through symptoms that are often overlooked or dismissed. Emotional instability, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and cardiovascular changes remain real challenges that are still surrounded by silence and stigma.
“Womeno was born from the experiences of real women who faced a lack of information and inadequate medical support during their menopause journey. By bringing together expertise and lived experience, we wanted to create an innovative solution to help other women understand and manage their symptoms both at home and in the workplace,” says Kalina Milanova.
Through its app, Womeno offers tools for symptom tracking and cycle monitoring, as well as guidance on nutrition, movement, and overall wellbeing tailored to peri- and postmenopause. Beyond the individual level, the team also works with employers by offering workshops that encourage more awareness and understanding of this stage in women’s lives, contributing to healthier, more supportive working environments.
Why menopause must become a mainstream topic
Menopause is a natural life stage that affects half of the global population, yet it remains widely misunderstood, under-researched, and under-discussed. Its impact reaches far beyond hot flashes, influencing mental health, sleep, cognitive performance, heart health, relationships, and work performance. Many women continue to suffer in silence due to stigma, misdiagnosis, and the lack of dedicated education on menopause within healthcare systems.
The absence of awareness and structured support, especially in professional environments, often leads women to reduce their working hours or withdraw from leadership roles altogether, reinforcing existing gender and economic inequalities. Treating menopause as a public health and workplace issue, rather than a private “women’s problem,” is an essential step toward building more informed, inclusive, and resilient societies.
The rising visibility of menopause in public and professional discourse reflects a slow but necessary change in priorities. Whether driven by startups, institutions, or grassroots initiatives, sustained progress will depend on long-term commitment rather than short-term attention.
