Willbe.

NHS problem

Over two million women aged 40+ in England received hormone replacement therapy from the NHS in 2025/2026, more than double 2020/2021. Net ingredient costs reached £222.8 million in 2023/2024; yet 48% of women stop HRT within 12 months, mainly due to intolerance. Each failed regimen generates repeat GP consultations (£49 each) and wasted prescriptions. Discontinuation also forfeits bone protection, which NICE notes declines once HRT stops. Fragility fractures cost the NHS over £4.7 billion annually, and one in two women will sustain it in their lifetime. Menopause symptoms also cost an estimated £1.88 billion in lost productivity annually.

Founder story

Yulia Mintchin, Founder & CEO Willbe., serial tech entrepreneur and Forbes 30 Under 30 founder. Through her own hormonal struggles, she recognised the limitations of conventional women’s healthcare and founded Willbe to pioneer a more personalised, science-led approach to hormone care.

The solution

Willbe is a UK women’s precision hormone health company. Our platform, FemGene®, is a clinical decision support tool for HRT initiation and optimisation in perimenopause. It integrates genomics, hormone metabolite testing and symptom cluster analysis to assign each woman a Hormone Archetype® (Sensitive, Responsive or Silent). Clinicians receive a report recommending HRT formulation, route and starting dose, plus flagging potential intolerances. FemGene® does not diagnose menopause or replace clinical judgement, it is designed to help women reach a well-tolerated HRT regimen sooner and stay on it, preserving HRT’s bone protection. Provisional patent applied.  

Impact

400,000 UK women enter menopause per annum.

 Per 400,000 women, with 48% baseline continuation at 12 months and an assumed 25% minimum reduction with FemGene®, 48,000 additional women remain on treatment 

– 96 000 GP consultations avoided (two per failed regimen): approximately £4.17 million and 16,000 GP hours 

– Up to 84,000 working days protected (seven absence days annually for severe symptoms). Bone health: NICE data indicate 23 fewer fragility fractures per 1000 women up to five years of HRT use (RCT estimate). Applied to 96,000 retained women: 1100 fractures avoided. 

– Average cost per fracture: £4.7 billion annual NHS fracture cost divided by 549,000 annual UK fragility fractures = £8,561 (rounded to £8600), giving approximately £9.5 million saved. 

– Future impact: NICE notes bone benefits may persist longer with longer HRT use. NHS fracture costs are forecast to reach approximately £6 billion by 2030, and 26% of hip fracture patients die within 12 months. Sustained continuation is designed to protect women as they enter peak fracture risk.

NHS capacity: structured, reproducible guidance supports GP led care and reduces pressure on specialist clinics. Combined, modelled NHS savings are minimum £13.67 mil/pa, before secondary menopause impacts such as Cardiovascular, Metabolic or Mental Health Disease are quantified.