Joyvie Health Raises $1.04M to Reinvent Continence Care

Jan de Vries · 2026-06-05

Joyvie Health, a UK-based startup, has closed its pre-Seed funding round with a total of $1.04 million (€897k). The company is on a mission to rethink continence underwear, designing it from the ground up to reduce stool-to-skin contact, protect skin health, and ease the burden on caregivers. The funding comes from an Innovate UK grant, plus investments from HERmesa Angels, SyndicateRoom, Lavender Ventures, and several angel investors. "Products designed for care should never cause harm. That's not a vision statement. It's the reason this company exists," says Zoe Robson, Founder & CEO of Joyvie Health. ### A Personal Story Behind the Innovation Joyvie Health was born from a deeply personal tragedy. Zoe Robson founded the company after her father, Fred, passed away in 2025. He was 77, fit, and sharp-minded when a late-stage pancreatic cancer diagnosis hit on Christmas Eve 2024. Eleven weeks later, he was gone. In those final weeks, Fred lost bowel control and had to wear adult nappies. The problem? Faeces trapped against skin breaks it down. Moisture, pathogens, and pH imbalance cause damage that never fully heals. His skin deteriorated, and his dignity slipped away with each change. And Ruth, his wife and primary caregiver, carried an invisible, crushing burden. "My parents didn't deserve that," says Zoe. "They were both at their most vulnerable, and the product meant to help them was making it worse. The skin breakdown, the shame, the loss of dignity, the weight on my mom. It wasn't from lack of care. It's a design failure." ### The Problem with Current Solutions Faecal incontinence (FI) affects an estimated 656 million people worldwide. Yet the most common non-invasive solution hasn't changed in decades: nappies and pads. These products trap stool against the skin, leading to breakdown, infections, and immense emotional distress for both patients and caregivers. Joyvie's approach is different. Instead of trapping waste, their underwear contains stool in a disposable pouch immediately after excretion. This dramatically reduces skin contact, preserves dignity, and cuts the time and effort needed for changes. Early testing shows about a 90% reduction in stool-to-skin contact and roughly 70% faster changes. ### The Bigger Picture: 2026 HealthTech Funding Joyvie's pre-Seed round is part of a wave of HealthTech funding in 2026 across the UK and Europe. Here's a snapshot of related investments: - **Semble** raised $37.9 million (€34.7m) for its healthcare management platform for outpatient providers. - **Evaro** secured $22.9 million (€21m) to expand NHS-licensed embedded health services. - **Recare** in Berlin raised up to $40.4 million (€37m) to scale its AI platform for hospitals and care providers. - **Tucuvi** raised $18.6 million (€17m) for voice-AI nursing follow-up automation. - **ShanX Medtech** secured $26.2 million (€24m) for antimicrobial-resistance diagnostics, with an initial focus on women's health. Taken together, these rounds represent over $189 million in related 2026 HealthTech funding. It's clear investors are betting big on innovation in care delivery, elderly care, and medical devices. ### What Investors See in Joyvie "At Lavender Ventures, we are committed to backing founders addressing large, underserved markets with innovative solutions that can meaningfully improve people's lives," says Gail Armstrong of Lavender Ventures. "We believe the market is ripe for innovation, and Joyvie's approach has the potential to deliver significant benefits not only for individuals, but also for carers, healthcare systems, and the environment." ### The Road Ahead Joyvie is now focused on scaling production and bringing its product to market. The goal is to offer a solution that restores dignity and reduces suffering for millions. For Zoe, it's personal. But for the entire industry, it could be a game-changer. If you or someone you know is affected by faecal incontinence, Joyvie's innovation offers a hopeful new direction. Sometimes, the best ideas come from the hardest moments.