OM DENNE EPISODE
50% of women over 40 will experience some degree of pelvic organ prolapse. Most still manage it with a device that has barely changed in decades.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Mirjam Weemhoff, urogynecologist and co-founder, and Bart van Diepenbeek, CEO, of Saturn Pelvic Health.
Together they built FlexSupp, an adaptable pessary built to replace the one-size-fits-all devices women rely on for prolapse. We get into the clinical problem, the research behind it, and how they built the company.
If you're a founder building medtech or health tech products, a woman in tech curious how founding teams get structured, or just someone who is interested in women’s health innovation, this episode is for you.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
* Why traditional pessaries fail so often, and what actually causes prolapse
* How FlexSupp’s adaptable design replaces the one-size-fits-all approach
* Why the team deliberately chose a male CEO to normalize investor conversations
* Why established pessary producers have little incentive to innovate
* What the last ten percent of medical device development looks like, and how a diverse team handles setbacks
* Why they chose Europe before the US, against the more common playbook
* The prevalence numbers behind prolapse, and why it stays hidden
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
04:30 Introduction to Saturn Pelvic Health and the team
04:54 Mirjam Weemhoff shares her background and motivation
06:30 The clinical problem of pelvic organ prolapse
07:39 The founding story and team formation
09:31 Bart van Diepenbeek joins the team and his motivation
12:33 The importance of team diversity and gender balance
14:11 Prevalence and impact of pelvic prolapse
16:22 How prolapse affects organ function and daily life
18:37 Limitations of current pessaries and surgeries
21:40 Advantages of the new adaptable pessary design
26:26 The development process of FlexSupp and research insights
39:48 Research and MRI studies informing product design
41:52 Current stage and remaining risks in product development
45:18 Lessons learned and unexpected challenges
48:56 Market entry strategy and regulatory considerations
53:57 Convincing stakeholders and overcoming barriers
58:34 Addressing gender and cultural aspects in healthcare
1:03:28 Why start in Europe before expanding globally
1:04:33 Closing thoughts and contact information
Connect with Mirjam Weemhoff, Bart van Diepenbeek, and Saturn Pelvic Health
Mirjam Weemhoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirjam-weemhoff-she-her-b343581b9/
Bart van Diepenbeek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-van-diepenbeek-b771734/
Saturn Pelvic Health: https://www.saturnpelvichealth.com/
FlexSupp product details: https://www.saturnpelvichealth.com/about-our-product/
More about the episode
Read more on the blog: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/08/06/episode-164/
More reflections on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/womendisruptingtech/p/episode-164
Connect with the host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/
More about the TEDx Coolhaven Women event on 9 October in Rotterdam
Event website: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/68333
Buy your tickets at Eventbrite
Use code WDT25 for an exclusive 25% discount.
About Women Disrupting Tech
Every week, Women Disrupting Tech covers the decisions, patterns, and structural realities that female founders and investors rarely discuss in public but run into every time they meet. Follow to get it in your feed.
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