Eco-friendly startup uses AI to predict when women need tampons

A subscription feminine hygiene company uses AI to predict exactly when women will need products each month.

We have seen a number of tech innovations aimed at women in recent years, such as a device that alerts users when a birth control pill has been forgotten and a wearable adhesive that can detect assault. Now, Freda, a company which uses an online subscription service to sell organic tampons and pads, has added AI technology to predict when customers need products to be delivered.

To use the service, customers create a profile on Freda’s website, where they provide details about their last menstrual cycle, such as the date it began and ended and heaviness of flow. The company then uses an algorithm to collect data about each user’s cycles and learn how they change over time. Freda uses the collected data to sync the delivery of products, ensuring subscribers receive them just before each period starts. In addition to this predictive delivery service, Freda is also eco-friendly. Their tampons are made of 100 percent certified organic cotton, free from chemicals and synthetic fibres, and their pads are made using sustainable wood pulp. Freda charges customers between USD 9.70 to 13.99 per month, including shipping. Women can use the service to order tampons, day pads, night pads and panty liners, and have the option to customise their orders or select a pre-made box.

Freda founder Affi Parvizi-Wayne was inspired to start the company after watching news of refugees trapped at border crossings while trying to reach Europe, and wondering how the women dealt with their periods. With every subscription, Freda donates a portion to worldwide initiatives tackling period poverty. The company also hopes to alter how women perceive their period, by removing stigma and encouraging people to understand that periods are natural and healthy. What other subscription products could benefit from AI that keeps track of exactly when you need them?