Femtech innovator growing from Bergen’s health-tech ecosystem

Body Moody, created by designer-entrepreneur Kateřina Rydlová, delivers wearable heated products designed to enhance comfort during menstruation and lower-back tension.

- Heat a non-invasive method alternative to painkillers for women experiencing period pains and discomfort, explains Kateřina, displaying the delicate box containing the company’s flagship product, a heated bodysuit. According to customer feedback: For some it is sufficient, for others it will make it possible to reduce the use of painkillers.

Femtech is a rapidly expanding global market. Body Moody’s heated bodysuit is fitting well into these markets demand, and found Bergen a great location for scaling the business. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.

A rapidly expanding niche

The heated bodysuit, made from viscose and elastane, blends functional design with scientifically supported heat therapy. The product combines high-quality textiles sourced from the Czech Republic with electronics developed in Sweden, offering both comfort and support during everyday life.

It has taken 5 years of development to bring this unique product, that today has an IP, to the market. The body suit looks like a regular piece of clothing, comes in black and in five different sizes. The study quality also gives support for the bloating feeling many women experiences. 

The button solution is solid and sturdy. 400 of the first ones were attached to the pink silt by hand by Kateřina and her sister. Support from family and friends has been vital the start-up phase.  

Femtech, which is technologies addressing women’s health needs, is a rapidly expanding global market, with demand fueled by heightened awareness of previously overlooked health challenges. International research shows the femtech market is growing strongly, with potential worth tens of billions of dollars. Body Moody’s focus on practical, non-invasive solutions places it at the intersection of healthcare and lifestyle wellness, with clear potential to scale internationally. 

- As part of our plans to scale the company we are also planning to expand our product range within the same category, with focus on menstruation, back pain, UTIs, stress - to bring comfort on go on those cases, says Kateřina.

Bergen: a strategic choice

Rydlová’s decision to base Body Moody in Bergen was driven by a mix of personal and strategic reasons. She already had experienced Sweden and Finland and was intrigued by the Nordic lifestyle. Then she found a Czech boyfriend with a job in Bergen.  Arriving in Bergen last winter, accompanied with a big German Shepeard, Kateřina was excited to see what was waiting for her.

- I really hoped for snow. My boyfriend had already worked here for four years and told me Bergen was a rainy city. But the day he came to pick me up, there was so much snow in Bergen he could hardly find the car.  Bergen bid me welcome as a magic winter wonderland!

She describes the relocating process as challenging but underlines that all public bureaucracy met her with openness and willingness to help.

- As for now, the system is rigged for people who either have a job or are coming to study. For me, bringing an established company with plans to scale, I really had to train my patience muscle for months. I was trying not to take it personally. Navigating change of the country is never easy, it’s like losing part of the identity, you had, while not been yet, where are you heading.

A welcoming ecosystem

But what was welcoming her was Bergen’s vibrant health-tech ecosystem, including Eitri Medical Incubator and support from Vestlandets Innovasjonsselskap (VIS), helping innovators develop, test and commercialize health-tech solutions. 

Vestland is rapidly positioning itself as a health-tech hub, with initiatives designed to strengthen the region’s global profile and attract both talent and investment. The newly launched HealthFjords brand platform unites public, academic, and private partners around a shared ambition to build a forward-looking health ecosystem. This collaborative approach enhances Bergen’s attractiveness to companies seeking a supportive environment for innovation, testing, and growth. 

Moreover, Greater Bergen offers unique infrastructure for health-tech companies: from advanced research institutions like the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, to dedicated testing environments and strong digital foundations that can accelerate a product’s journey from prototype to market. 

Eitri Medical Incubator and support from Vestlandets Innovasjonsselskap (VIS), Sgartup Lab and Invest in Vestland have been vital for Kateřina, relocating to Bergen. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.

A launchpad for global growth

At the look for investors, Kateřina recently won the Eitri pitching competition 2025, one of several arenas to meet investors in the ecosystem.

- Bergen has offered both community and opportunity. Participation in events such as Demo Day Vestlandet and the pitch at Eitri has given the company exposure to investors and collaborators, while the region’s innovation networks, like Startup Lab, have provided essential early-stage support, she says.

As the company prepares to expand its product line and deepen its impact, Bergen’s blend of research, healthcare resources, and entrepreneurial energy creates a competitive advantage, making Vestland not just a home for Body Moody, but a launchpad for scaling innovative solutions in the global health-tech landscape.

Bergen’s blend of research, healthcare resources, and entrepreneurial energy creates a competitive advantage, making a launchpad for scaling innovative solutions in the global health-tech landscape, like Body Moody. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.