Women’s healthtech startup Femtek rebrands as Kyri

Having a femtech startup called Femtek is too generic for Australia’s intellectual property tsars, so founder Olivia Orchowski has turned to Norse mythology for inspiration, rebranding as Kyri.

In true Australia fashion, it’s a shortening of Valkyrie, the warrior women sent to choose who, among the fallen in battle, would enter Vahalla, Norse heaven. 

Orchowski founded Kyri in 2020, which working as a women’s health coach and conscious of the challenges around the menstrual cycle, including the fact that just over 1-in-10 women actually have a “textbook” 28-day cycle.

So she helped developed a ring that tracks your resting body temperature, which increases during ovulation, to help women keep track of what’s happening, funding it in 2022 with a Kickstarter campaign and pre-Seed round.

Earlier this year she raised $1 million in a Seed round led by Arcanys Ventures. Techstars is also an investor.

The cool thing about her company’s flagship product, the basal body ring, is that it will now be known as the Kyri ring, which, ah, has a nice ring to it.

Orchowski said a range of factors led to the rebrand, alongside years of legal back-and-forth with the trademarking regulator trying to protect her company’s IP. There’s the issue of rogue capitalisation too, with many writing Femtek as FemTek. 

On top of that, as her vision for the company evolved, Femtek felt clinical, while Kyri embodies both femininity and strength. Her goal is to empower women with cutting-edge tools for health tracking and wellness, supporting them throughout various life stages.

“This is not a decision we took lightly. It is a reflection of where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. Kyri, inspired by the strength of Valkyries, is about leading women to greatness through innovative health solutions,” Orchowski said. 

“This change is integral to our continued growth and long-term goals.”

The Kyri CEO said the shift to the new namewill take place over the next six weeks and customers can expect a seamless shift, with updated inboxes, redirects, and a fresh digital presence .

But for now, you’ll still find her at femtek.co