Mayra Hurtado: From corporate ladder to founding a perimenopausal health startup

In this episode of FemTech Real Money Talks, host Elena Lipilina interviews Mayra Hurtado, Co-Founder and CEO of Prelude Health, a FemTech startup based in Singapore.

Prelude Health's flagship product, Hormony, is the first rapid saliva test specifically designed for women to measure their hormone levels at home, supported by a mobile app for monitoring hormone health during perimenopause.

Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Hurtado completed her bachelor's degree in international business before moving to Singapore for an MBA at Nanyang Technological University. She has a diverse professional background, including a ten-year career at Adidas, where she gained extensive experience in marketing and e-commerce.

Mayra shares her inspiring journey from corporate worker to femtech entrepreneur, highlighting how her personal health struggles during the pandemic motivated her to co-found Hormony. She explains Prelude Health's unique approach to hormone testing using rapid saliva technology, which allows women to conveniently monitor their hormone levels at home.

Key topics explored:

• The transition from corporate life to startup founder in the femtech space
• Developing a personalized, tech-driven solution for hormone health management
• Navigating the fundraising landscape as a female founder in Asia
• The importance of SAFE agreements for early-stage startups
• Balancing frugality with necessary investments in health tech development
• The role of sports and resilience in entrepreneurship
• How accelerator programs can transform a startup's trajectory

Mayra also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the Asian femtech market, highlighting Singapore as a strategic launchpad for health tech innovation. She emphasizes the need for more research and open dialogue around perimenopause and hormone health.