PADI

PADÍ provides non-invasive: clinical-grade health diagnostics through sustainable menstrual hygiene products. The mission is to eliminate systemic diagnostic inaccessibility and environmental plastic pollution by repurposing agricultural waste into bio-sensing tools. PADÍ empowers menstruators with proactive health insights for self-advocacy while driving industrial decarbonization and health equity in underserved global communities.

Around 60% of UTIs and 66% of PCOS cases go undiagnosed, often because testing is invasive, expensive, or difficult to access. This results in nearly $500 billion in avoidable healthcare costs each year and disproportionately impacts marginalized women, whose symptoms are more likely to be dismissed or overlooked. Beyond the clinical gap, there is also an environmental cost tied to everyday health products. The menstrual product industry generates approximately 200,000 metric tons of plastic waste annually, with many products taking centuries to decompose. At the same time, 158 million tonnes of banana agricultural waste are either burned or left to decay, releasing significant amounts of CO₂ and methane into the atmosphere. These parallel challenges highlight a clear need for solutions that address both health access and sustainability. PADI is designed to meet that need through an at-home diagnostic that works passively during use. By integrating sensors directly into a menstrual pad, the product analyzes biomarkers such as iron, pH, and hormones in real time. After use, the pad can be flipped to reveal clear, clinical-grade results, giving users immediate insight into their health. This approach removes the need for invasive clinic visits or expensive mail-in kits, making diagnostics more accessible and less disruptive. More importantly, it shifts healthcare from a reactive model, where users seek help after symptoms worsen, to a proactive one, where routine monitoring is built into a product already used monthly. The market opportunity reflects a growing demand for this type of solution. The global menstrual market is valued at $46 billion, with a $2 billion segment focused on consumers actively seeking better health insights. Current options such as Qvin ($49.99) and MyLabBox ($119.99) are costly and rely on plastic-heavy materials and delayed mail-in processing. PADI offers a more affordable alternative at $0.62 per unit, making it significantly more accessible. The business model is designed for both scale and sustainability, with strong margins supported by low-cost raw materials and an optional $19.99 monthly subscription that provides AI-driven insights and personalized health tracking. PADI incorporates patent-pending designs alongside a proprietary process for converting banana fiber into functional, medical-grade materials. By sourcing and processing agricultural waste locally in regions like Nigeria and Kenya, we are able to reduce costs while minimizing environmental impact. This decentralized approach also strengthens our supply chain and creates a meaningful barrier to entry for traditional manufacturers that rely on centralized, high-volume production systems. PADI Team: Titilope Olotu, CEO (UCLA Pre-med, R&D Lead) Dr. Goldrath, Chief Medical Officer (OBGYN) Beth Lazzazera, Ph.D., Principal Investigator (Microbiology) Adewoyin O., Ph.D., Bioengineer (Sensor Integration) Israel Okeyinka, Sustainability Lead (Circular Economy) Dirug Samuel, Tech Lead (AI Development) Ghazal Saeedi, Clinical Research (Reagents & Trials) Olamide Olowe, Business Advisor (Strategy & Scaling) PADI serves as an aid to diagnosing, providing women with the autonomy to menstruate and learn to obtain proactive insights to take better care of their health and well-being.