After years as an athlete and product designer with a love for women’s health and sportswear, Mitchella Gilbert one day found herself at the doctor’s office with a yeast infection. Puzzled by how it may have started, Gilbert turned to her OB-GYN who shared, “If you want to reduce the frequency of your yeast infections scale back on wearing leggings.” Gilbert was shocked when hearing her OB/GYN share that this was a common issue for millions of women who loved working out. That moment was the spark that changed everything for Gilbert.
Within the months to follow Gilbert conducted research that concluded that the doctor was right. Most leggings with spandex blends have the potential to trap moisture in the vaginal area which can throw off the balance of healthy feminine bacteria and create an environment for pathogens that cause infection to thrive. Gilbert saw that there wasn’t a company addressing the issue and co-founded Oya Femtech Apparel to create a new legging that had a breathable, replaceable pad, and panels that promoted ventilation around the inner thigh.
In a little over a year to follow, the innovative performance wear, that has been physician-tested and athlete-approved, has raised $1.3 million to scale following an oversubscribed pre-seed round.
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