What no one talked about became her business idea
Bita Baghestani is studying marketing at Master’s level at Uppsala University and runs a company within femtech – female technology. Photo: Sara Gredemark
When Uppsala University student Bita Baghestani realised that key challenges in menstrual health were being overlooked, she decided to tackle them herself. Through her femtech company Mooneva, she aims to develop sustainable products and foster a more open conversation about menstruation. Alongside full-time studies, she is working to improve women’s everyday lives – one innovation at a time.
When Bita Baghestani moved to Sweden to pursue her second Master’s degree at Uppsala University, she brought an entrepreneurial background with her. In Iran, she had founded Levva Pharma, a company that helped introduce sustainable menstrual care on a broader scale. It did not take long before she realised that the same market gaps existed in Sweden.
“I quickly understood that these challenges were not specific to Iran. They’re global. Menstrual health is still underreported and underprioritised,” she says.
Today, she runs the femtech company Mooneva together with her husband, alongside full-time studies in marketing. The company’s first product is a reusable menstrual disc made from medical-grade silicone and developed in Sweden.
A need many recognise – but few discuss
For Bita Baghestani, it was striking that this new type of menstrual product – growing rapidly worldwide – was not yet common on the Swedish market. But even more surprising to her was how little menstruation was discussed among Swedish women.
“That adds an extra challenge for my marketing,” she says with a laugh.
“In Iran, menstrual products are talked about openly when women meet. Here, it’s more private, so perhaps the marketing needs to work differently,” she reflects.
At the same time, she hopes to contribute to greater openness. Mooneva is currently developing an app to help users better understand their menstrual cycle and menstrual health.
“I believe that increasing knowledge is a way to break the silence and make menstruation a shared rather than private topic,” she says.
From idea to impact
Strengthening her knowledge in marketing is the reason she is now studying at the Department of Business Studies at Uppsala University.
“I know product and business development, but I’ve always felt I lacked deeper knowledge of marketing. Now I’m trying to learn as much as possible about that part of entrepreneurship, and studying here is truly inspiring,” she says.
Despite a busy schedule filled with studies, customer contact, marketing and product development, Bita Baghestani is confident about her direction.
“Entrepreneurship is my dream, but it’s not just about business. When someone tells me that the product has changed their life – that’s what drives me.”
She also hopes that more women will feel encouraged to pursue entrepreneurship.
“When you see someone else do it, it becomes easier to believe that you can too. I want to be part of that change,” she says.
Sara Gredemark
Femtech
Femtech – female technology – refers to products and services supporting women’s health, including menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, menopause and sexual health.