DITTO, a scientist-founded menstrual health startup, has raised £4.5 million in a seed round led by FoodLabs, with participation from returning investor Eka Ventures and a group of angel investors. The company combines supplements and research to build products for women living with menstrual cycle and hormone-related symptoms and publishes the science behind them.
Menstrual cycle and hormone-related symptoms have long been under-researched and under-discussed, leaving many women with vague guidance, little reliable information and the sense that their symptoms were not taken seriously. PMS, premenstrual syndrome, covers the mix of physical and emotional symptoms many women experience in the days before their period, from cramps and bloating to fatigue and low mood, while PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is far more severe and less recognised, with mood symptoms intense enough to significantly disrupt daily life. Premenstrual Daily, the first DITTO product, is designed to work proactively, helping the body and brain build up resilience to the impact of hormone shifts before symptoms can take hold rather than only addressing them once they arrive. Ingredients are selected for the strength of evidence behind them, then encapsulated using innovative nutrient delivery technology for maximum absorption, a combination that will underpin every DITTO product to come. Clinical trials on the finished formulation have been completed, in which 88% of women had significantly reduced symptoms.
The market for women's hormonal supplements is forecast to reach 7.5 billion USD globally by 2030. Research at DITTO is growing alongside it: an initial clinical trial has been completed and results are beginning to be shared, with a larger trial and a real-world evidence study now in process, plus a systematic review into the links between PMDD and ADHD.
Alice van der Schoot trained as a neuroscientist before moving into a PhD in nutrition science, providing extensive knowledge on the challenges women face around their menstrual cycle, arising from pathways involving both the body and brain. Co-founder Adam Kugler joined from L'Oréal, where he was Brand Director. Since launching its first product in 2025, DITTO has built a highly engaged community of 300,000 women and a customer base with strong retention. Funding will go towards accelerating research projects, expanding the science-led supplement range and reaching more women.
Too many women are told their concerns are normal, or that they're being dramatic, and sent away without answers. Until DITTO, there was nowhere for women to find research about what they were going through, or science-led solutions built for the reality of what they were living. We do the research ourselves, decode the studies explaining what women are dismissed for, and combine neuroscience and nutrition to build products grounded in evidence. That's why our community has grown the way it has - women finally feel heard, are equipped with information to advocate for themselves, and they've found something that works.
DITTO is a research platform that develops and sells products. In the market of menstrual health, clinical evidence is becoming the price of entry, and the first company to set that standard is the one everyone else gets measured against. With proprietary delivery technology, a community of 300,000 women and a loyal customer base with strong retention, DITTO is that company.
What makes DITTO especially exciting to us is that the science earns trust, and trust is what scales a brand. The reviews and the momentum since launch show real demand. DITTO takes rigorous science and grows it into a brand women reach for at scale because it delivers. That combination is hard to find, and it's precisely what we want to back.
