Holland & Barrett acquires FemTech startup Parla
Holland & Barrett has acquired FemTech startup Parla as part of plans to extend its reach beyond retail through the offer of personalised wellness solutions.
Co-founded by Lina Chan, her husband Tyler Christie and Rose Acton in 2018, Parla aims to provide a virtual support system to improve women’s mental wellness through personalised care for issues such as endometriosis, PCOS and pregnancy loss.
Participants join cohort-based online learning programmes which connect them with each other and experts in fertility, psychology, nutrition and wellbeing.
Tamara Rajah, chief business and science officer at Holland & Barrett, said, “Parla aims to tackle major underserved wellness needs that impact tens of millions of women around the world.
“Women who have experienced endometriosis, PCOS or pregnancy loss often struggle with where to turn. What stood out for Holland & Barrett with Parla is their focus on making these taboo topics more socialised, and their novel cohort-based model to address mental wellness through conversation, community and expert support.
“Holland & Barrett has been offering women advice on menopause and women’s health for over 50 years, so this is a natural extension of our business.” supported by an app designed to help customers adopt the lifestyle interventions taught in each programme.”
Parla is officially launching the start of its next endometriosis programme by supporting the UK premiere of “Below the Belt,” a new US documentary about the injustices impacting women’s health.
