TITLE: Prickly Pear Health to Showcase Women’s Brain Health Tech at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
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From Personal Insight to Tech Innovation
Iman Clark, CEO of Prickly Pear Health, experienced a career-changing realization that ultimately led her company to TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Her journey began nine years ago after moving from Tunisia to the United States for graduate school. Clark joined a company developing gamified experiences for individuals with neurodegenerative conditions like dementia, where she observed firsthand the challenges facing older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
The Women’s Health Gap Discovery
While researching neurodegenerative diseases, Clark made a startling discovery: 70% of Alzheimer’s patients are women. Further investigation revealed women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and three to four times more likely to experience migraines. “That’s when I realized we are not really solving for women’s biology, and that is costing us lives and dollars,” Clark explained in her interview about the company’s mission.
Prickly Pear Health’s Solution
Clark founded Prickly Pear Health to address this critical gap in women’s healthcare. The company provides AI-powered medical support specifically designed for women’s brain health during hormonal transitions. The voice-first companion helps women aged 30-50 navigate the hormonal changes that significantly impact cognitive function.
The innovative technology allows users to record daily voice reflections, which Prickly Pear’s AI analyzes for language patterns and context to track cognitive changes over time. The system also integrates data from popular health trackers including Apple Health, Oura, and Garmin, pulling in sleep patterns, heart rate activity, and other metrics to provide personalized health insights.
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Focusing on Critical Midlife Years
Through focus groups at Arizona State University, Clark identified that women in their late 30s to early 50s frequently report brain fog and mental fatigue, but often don’t connect these symptoms to hormonal changes until their 60s. “They’re often dismissed or misdiagnosed when symptoms like brain fog, mood shifts, or irregular cycles first appear,” Clark noted, emphasizing that traditional healthcare frequently misses these critical connections during midlife.
Prickly Pear Health aims to change this narrative by helping women recognize and address early warning signs before they develop into more serious health challenges later in life.
Company Growth and Future Plans
The company name draws inspiration from Arizona’s resilient cacti, symbolizing the ability to thrive in challenging conditions. Clark launched a free version of the product in May and plans to introduce premium offerings in October, coinciding with both Mental Health Awareness Month and Menopause Awareness Month.
Clark successfully raised a $350,000 pre-seed round, acknowledging the particular challenges faced by women of color in fundraising. “We had to be so good that you cannot be ignored,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of building investor relationships before seeking funding.
Prickly Pear Health will demonstrate its groundbreaking technology at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, running October 27-29 in San Francisco, where Clark hopes to showcase how her company is transforming women’s brain health care through innovative AI solutions.
