Joyvié Health Raises $1M to Redesign Continence Underwear

Jan de Vries · 2026-06-05

Joyvié Health, a UK-based startup, has secured $1.04 million in pre-Seed funding to rethink continence underwear. The company’s product is designed from first principles to cut stool-to-skin contact, protect skin integrity, and lighten the load for caregivers. The round combines an Innovate UK grant with investments from HERmesa Angels, SyndicateRoom, Lavender Ventures, and individual 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 Joyvié Health. ### A Personal Story Behind the Mission Joyvié Health was born from tragedy. Founder Zoe Robson lost her father, Fred, 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. During those weeks, Fred lost bowel control and had to wear a nappy. Stool trapped against his skin caused breakdown—moisture, pathogens, and pH imbalance doing damage that never fully healed. His dignity eroded with every 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 mum. 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—nappies and pads—has barely changed in decades. These products trap stool against the skin, causing: - Skin breakdown and infections - Loss of dignity and shame - Heavy caregiver burden Joyvié’s approach is different. Their underwear contains stool in a disposable pouch right after excretion, dramatically reducing skin contact. Early tests show about 90% less stool-to-skin contact and 70% faster changes. ### Broader HealthTech Funding Trends Joyvié’s pre-Seed round fits into a busy 2026 for UK and European HealthTech. Across adjacent areas—care delivery, clinical workflow, elderly care, medical devices, and women’s health—several companies have raised significant funds: - **Semble** (UK): $40.6 million for healthcare management platform - **Recare** (Berlin): $43.3 million for AI hospital platform - **Evaro** (UK): $24.6 million for NHS-licensed health services - **Tucuvi** (Europe): $19.9 million for voice-AI nursing automation - **ShanX Medtech** (Europe): $28.1 million for antimicrobial diagnostics - **Patronus** (Europe): $12.9 million for senior-friendly smartwatch - **Calibre** (UK): $3.3 million for health “guesswork” solutions - **Ditto** (Rotterdam): $8.9 million for patient-friendly medical info - **MedVasc** (Europe): $2.6 million for anaesthesia catheter - **JAAQ** (UK): $17.5 million for enterprise mental health - **Nul** (UK): $983,000 for alcohol-dependence care Together, these rounds total over $202 million in 2026 HealthTech funding. ### Investor Confidence “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 Joyvié’s approach has the potential to deliver significant benefits not only for individuals, but also for carers, healthcare systems, and the environment.” ### What’s Next Joyvié Health plans to use the funding to finalize product development, run clinical trials, and prepare for market launch. The company is targeting both home care and institutional settings—nursing homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. For Zoe Robson, it’s personal. “My parents didn’t deserve that suffering. No one does. We’re here to change the story.”