Bladder health startup Jude expands to US on $4.24m seed funding for underserved market

Jude's e-shop also offers multiple products to protect from leakage.

Jude, a London-based startup focused on bladder health, has secured $4.24 million to expand its offering into the US. Jude's goal is to establish itself as a category leader in an area that founder Peony Li says has been overlooked. The shortage of bladder-health-focused startups speaks to the opportunity for Jude, who is tapping into a massive yet still largely underserved market; more than 2.3 billion people suffer from some type of bladder problem. Although both men and women can experience bladder problems, Jude is targeting the middle-aged female demographic, a "not heard, quite underserved, not seen demographic", according to Li.

Currently, the startup is selling a bladder strength supplement to combat bladder weakness caused by events such as childbirth. The supplement requires no prescription because it contains only natural ingredients (pumpkin seed extract and soy germ extract) and Jude's marketing claims it has been "proven to reduce leaks by 79%". Jude's e-shop also offers multiple products to protect from leakage. Also a hotline for free advice from trained specialists on retraining problematic bladder habits. By early next year, it plans to add a digital consultation service, which will enable customers to respond to a questionnaire submitted to partner e-pharmacies to prescribe appropriate treatment.