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Pique, a virtual sexual health clinic focused on enjoyment rather than reproduction, has nailed $4 million in seed funding, CEO Leslie Busick tells Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: Riding a wave of investor interest in women's digital health, (mostly female) entrepreneurs are beginning to move beyond fertility into sexual health as well as primary care and behavioral health, among others.

"We feel like we’re hitting this at the right time," says Busick. "People are starting to recognize sexual wellness as a key part of health."

Unlike a number of startups that focus on sex in the interest of starting a family, Pique wants to help women enjoy intimacy, specifically those experiencing menopause.

Details: Maveron led the round and was joined by Bread and Butter Ventures, Halogen, Progression Fund, Pitbull Ventures and the founders of Tend.

How it works: Via Pique's website, users sign up for free consult with a nurse practitioner trained in women’s sexual health who asks about their life and relationship status.

The practitioner then designs a care plan that may include different types of vaginal estrogen, sex and relationship therapy and suggested lifestyle changes.

Pique charges $15 a month for vaginal estrogen, which clinicians say is often safely used to treat symptoms of menopause including vaginal dryness, itching and burning, and $120 per hour for therapy.

Users track their progress using the Female Sexual Function Index, a standardized sexual health questionnaire designed to asses sexual wellness.

Yes, but: Like many other digital pharmacies such as Ro and Hims, Pique does not accept insurance, which often won't cover hormone-based treatments anyway.

The intrigue: Virtual care businesses that use direct-to-consumer models face a steeper road to success than those who employ business-to-business arrangements, which give them ready access to large potential customer groups, industry observers tell Axios. 

So far, the company is leaning heavily on word of mouth and referrals, but it will "use some of the [seed round] funds from to experiment with creative paid growth channels," Busick says.

What they're saying: Because women's sexual health has been treated as taboo for decades, tools like Pique fill a critical void in care, experts tell Axios.

"Many women don't feel comfortable talking to their doctors about sex and many doctors don't feel comfortable asking about it," says Engle.

Pique chief medical officer and urologist Ashley Winter says that's partially because of an erroneous but widespread conception that it is ultra-complex, but "for many issues, it’s not complicated," she adds. 

"Just because something is an expected physiological change doesn’t mean you have to live with it," Winter adds. "I wear glasses. I guess I was genetically programmed to walk into walls. I don’t want to live that way."

State of play: The recent swell of women's digital health entrants includes Evernow, a digital pharmacy for menopause, Awesome Woman, a home diagnostics and telehealth company and Lorals, a startup making FDA-cleared underwear designed to protect against infections spread through oral sex. 

Still, few of those function as a "safe place where women can tackle their sexual health concerns from both a medical and psychological framework," says Gigi Engle, a certified sex educator and author. 

What's next: Los Angeles-based Pique is developing a network of community-based providers so it can refer patients with needs that go beyond the limitations of a digital platform.

Further on the horizon: Catering to additional groups, such as postpartum women and younger women.

"This is about so much more than having great sex," Busick says. "It’s health and human connection."

Women's sexual health startup Pique nails $4M seed

Based in Los Angeles, Pique currently serves women in menopause.

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Venture capital

Pique, a virtual sexual health clinic focused on enjoyment rather than reproduction, has nailed $4 million in seed funding, CEO Leslie Busick tells Axios exclusively.Why it matters: Riding a wave of investor interest in women&#x27;s digital health, (mostly female) entrepreneurs are beginning to move beyond <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fertility" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/04/future-family-fertility-care-raises-25-million" data-vars-content-id="3fd62783-c697-43f2-b29c-4fa8d7bd782a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s sexual health startup Pique nails $4M seed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/04/future-family-fertility-care-raises-25-million" target="_self">fertility</a> into <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sexual health" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/05/13/first-fda-approved-underwear-lorals-sex-tech" data-vars-content-id="3fd62783-c697-43f2-b29c-4fa8d7bd782a" data-vars-headline="Women&#x27;s sexual health startup Pique nails $4M seed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/05/13/first-fda-approved-underwear-lorals-sex-tech" target="_self">sexual health</a> as well as primary care and behavioral health, among others.

Women's sexual health startup Pique nails $4M seed

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