Philly-Based Women’s Health Startup Stix Just Raised $3.5M in Seed Funding
The money will be used to expand Stix’s product line as well as grow their digital education platform.
Stix products include ovulation and pregnancy tests, UTI care, and prenatal supplements. Photograph courtesy Stix
It’s been nearly two years since Philly residents Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood launched Stix, a startup making accessing women’s health products like pregnancy, ovulation, and UTI tests more discreet and convenient. As a direct-to-consumer brand, Stix helps eliminate the unintended, often unwanted run-ins with acquaintances at drugstores when you’re simply trying to manage your health on your own terms. Plus, their tests are more than 99 percent accurate, OBGYN-approved and FDA-cleared.
When COVID-19 hit, Plotch and Norwood were reminded that having access to health products and resources is critical — a main reason they believe Stix saw accelerated growth during the pandemic, completing 2020 with a 120 percent quarter-over-quarter sales increase. All of this catalyzed Stix to launch their UTI line in January and their prenatal supplement last month. Amidst these new developments, the company initiated a seed funding round to continue the rapid growth. The round, which was co-led by Resolute Ventures and SWAT Equity Partners, closed this month with $3.5 million.
Plotch says the seed funding will go toward expanding their product offerings and developing their digital education platform. New products that target women’s “overall health journey” are slated to debut this summer. As for their digital education platform, Stix currently produces a health blog known as The Stix Library, plus an SMS-based health hotline and a mobile pregnancy test guide, which they launched just last week.
“So much of women’s health is never taught in educational settings, which can lead to [people] feeling confused, overwhelmed, or isolated,” says Plotch. “Stix’s mission is to answer women’s most Googled health questions with expert resources, accessible physical and digital products, and space to openly talk about intimate health experiences.”
Stix currently offers at-home pregnancy, ovulation, and UTI tests, as well as a UTI daily prevention supplement, a UTI pain reliever, and a prenatal vitamin. All products can be found and purchased directly on their website.
