Avarie Femcare

Avarie Femcare is a women's health consumer products company that develops menstrual pads intended for people with heavy flow, including perimenopausal flooding and postpartum flow. Its single product, the Avarie Heavy Flow Menstrual Pad, is sold in boxes of 15 pads at $29.99 and is described as ultra-thin while offering extended back coverage for overnight use and extended wings. The company states the pads are eligible for purchase with FSA and HSA funds under the CARES Act, and it offers free shipping on a first order and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

The company positions its absorbency testing methodology as central to the product: it states that head-to-head capacity testing was conducted against Always Ultra Thin Size 5 using a blood-consistency (blood-viscosity) fluid rather than the saline it says leading brands use, and reports 87% higher absorption capacity. It also reports results from a 60-user consumer use pilot, and says a 3,000-pad pilot run was produced to validate the product at scale, with 142 boxes made available for direct purchase and a stated pilot close date of June 9. The company says it is working toward a full production launch, with priority access for early customers.

Avarie Femcare participated in the USC and Techstars University Catalyst pre-accelerator, a part-time, primarily virtual 10-week program running September through November that supports up to 20 USC-affiliated startups, and subsequently joined the USC and Techstars Accelerator as part of Techstars' Spring 2026 accelerator programs, a 12-week program culminating in a June Demo Day.

Founding story

Founder Charlyn Bender, a former Deputy District Attorney, describes experiencing a menstrual leak while addressing a courtroom and being denied a recess until she disclosed a women's health issue. She attributes the company's creation to three decades of dissatisfaction with existing period products rather than to a market opportunity.

Business model

Direct-to-consumer sale of disposable menstrual pads through the company's own online store, currently limited to a pilot production run. Boxes of 15 pads are priced at $29.99, with payment accepted via FSA and HSA cards as well as major credit cards.

Product sales of boxed menstrual pads at a $29.99 per-box retail price, with free shipping on first orders.

Traction

A 60-user consumer use pilot in which the company reports 100% of testers confirmed the pad met or exceeded their absorbency needs, 90% reported zero leaks and testers averaged 41% fewer pad changes. A 3,000-pad pilot run was manufactured, with 142 boxes remaining for direct purchase at the time of the site snapshot. The company was selected for the USC and Techstars University Catalyst cohort and then the USC and Techstars Accelerator in Techstars' Spring 2026 programs.