Semaine Health was founded by twin sisters Lauren and Catherine Lee in addition to Lauren’s husband, Matt Crane. From their teenage years, Lauren and Catherine both constantly suffered from severe period pains and were eventually diagnosed with endometriosis in their late 20s. Even after undergoing multiple surgeries to remove the endometriosis, they still experienced immense pain during their periods. Lauren and Catherine took ibuprofen with codeine to help alleviate the discomfort but quickly grew fed up with the terrible side effects. Having witnessed his wife’s struggles for over a decade, Matt — a researcher with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering — decided to take matters into his own hands. He spent hundreds of hours researching plant extracts that were clinically proven to reduce period-related inflammation, experimented with blends of various plant powders (including curcumin, green tea, resveratrol, and magnesium), and started adding them into Lauren’s morning smoothies. One year later, Lauren experienced her first pain-free period.

Knowing that they had something special, Lauren, Matt, and Catherine decided to quit their jobs and commit full-time to Semaine. They conducted an independent third-party clinical trial to prove their product’s efficacy, set up an Indiegogo campaign to fund their first production run, and officially launched the company in March of 2020. Starting with their solutions for PMS and period pain, the Semaine team is working to address the lack of research around and remedies for period-related conditions. At the same time, they are shedding light on the inequalities in healthcare for women and striving to ensure that women’s health is taken seriously.