Meet The Creator of the World’s First Virtual Midwife

Bonnie Roupé, (43), is the CEO and Founder of Bonzun (www.bonzun.com), the Stockholm-based company that creates tools designed to support women and their families before and during pregnancy. Its first product, Bonzun Pregnancy, acts as the world’s first virtual midwife and provides pregnant women and parents-to-be with scientifically accurate medical information, guiding them through their pregnancy. To date, Bonzun Pregnancy has helped over 2 million users across the UK and Sweden. Excitingly, the company has begun to roll out Bonzun IVF, an app-based tool that provides patients with detailed information on what to expect during their IVF journey, operating as a bridge between the clinic and the patient.  

Where did the idea for Bonzun come from?

When I was pregnant with my second child, I developed pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that endangered both me and my unborn child. I didn’t know we were in danger at the time as I didn’t know the symptoms to look out for – let alone the terms to use when looking up my symptoms online.

The experience made me realise that there was no resource out there for accessing credible and accurate information about pregnancy. You had to go to the hospital first just to find out if you needed to be there or not in the first place – it all seemed very old fashioned to go to a doctor every time there was a concern. I started to think that it would be useful for pregnant women to have all the information they need in the palm of their hands instead.

What prompted you to develop the app? Who has been your inspiration?

After I recovered I began looking into how many women die from pregnancy-related complications due to a basic lack of information. The numbers were, and still are, shocking. Just last year the 2018 World Health Organization reported that an estimated 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth every day.

I realised that, in this digital age, it would be very possible for me to build an app to inform pregnant women myself. I could see very clearly how the software would work and I realised that if I didn’t build it, then maybe no one else would.  

I also thought that an app like this would be greatly beneficial to the pregnancy world. I firmly believe that women should be armed with as much information as possible, and the go-to advice shouldn’t always be ‘consult your doctor’, as this can lead expectant mothers to downplay their symptoms or ignore them for longer than is wise. Similarly, having access to reliable information from the comfort of their own home means that healthy women don’t need to book doctor’s appointments as often, freeing up valuable medical time.

How is Bonzun unique?

Bonzun has developed the world’s first virtual midwife. The app provides individual, relevant, credible and accurate information about pregnancy which is evidence based and adapted to the locality of the app’s user.

In addition to being the only pregnancy app with a focus on digital health, Bonzun is the only healthtech company which focuses purely on IVF and pregnancies. Our newest innovation, Bonzun IVF, is white labelled and sold directly to clinics in Sweden, Norway and Hong Kong and, currently, there is no other solution out there with the same functions. Women are given access to the software through their clinics which assists them through the entire process. Bonzun IVF is based on research into why IVF treatments fail, as well as the reasons that couples drop-out of treatment prematurely. As such, it helps IVF clinics support their clients and ensure that each obstacle, side effect and reason for stress or anxiety is taken seriously and adequately dealt with.

We are also different from most companies in our values. By putting medical accurate evidence-based knowledge at the core of everything we do and, making sure that we are non-religious and non-political, we leave no room for biased opinion or myths. This helps us to ensure that the health of mother and baby always comes first.

How hard is it to be a woman in the technology industry? What obstacles have you faced?

I think it’s definitely getting better. When visiting conferences, it’s clear to me that there is a focus on ensuring gender balance and bringing forward female voices. Recently, gender equality has also become an open topic. We are comfortable calling out discrepancies or gender-based biases, whereas a few years ago we wouldn’t feel as confident doing so.

That said, we still have some way to go. I do think there are still barriers for women working in tech, and the only way to overcome this is by recognising bias – that’s the most important starting point.

Women can still be patronised and underestimated – I’m frequently asked about my children and get the feeling I’m being evaluated as a mother or wife, which isn’t relevant in a business setting. I do think this is a shared societal issue, so we – as a society – need to make sure we undertake regular checks and balances to identify gender-based issues in business and find solutions for them.

In order to support the career progress of anyone working in tech, or any other industry for that matter, companies need to see people beyond their gender, looking at their skill set, experience and what they are bringing to the business as a whole. I believe that this approach will foster talent, provide equal opportunities and help businesses to flourish.

Where do you see yourself and your business in five years?

Over the next five years, we will be focused on growing a truly global service. In time, I hope for Bonzun to become the obvious choice for all pregnant women, IVF clinics and maternal hospitals that want to provide better solutions for their patients.

We are also aiming to ensure that our tools are available in all major languages, so that we can reach out to pregnant women all over the world and support them through this often difficult and stressful phase. I want to change women’s lives. Nobody should die from pregnancy.

What’s your proudest moment?

One of my biggest career achievements to date has definitely been seeing Bonzun Pregnancy develop from an idea into a company that has so far helped over 2 million women around the world with their pregnancies – that’s something I’m very proud of. The statistics around maternal mortality are truly heartbreaking. Knowing that we are working towards reducing this number and increasing awareness of life-threatening complications of pregnancy is hugely rewarding.

I am also incredibly proud of our newest innovation, Bonzun IVF. It is an exciting time, because currently there is no other solution out there with the same functions. Seeing that go live in more countries will definitely be a proud moment for me in the future.

Have you spent much time in London? What do you love about the city?

I visit London every once in a while, as a few of my close friends live in the city. One thing I love about London is that it’s warmer than Stockholm, and spring arrives earlier here too. I also love how quirky London is, with its cute cafes, luxury farmhouses, open air markets and modern clubs – there’s always something charming to find.

How do you relax?

When I feel stressed out and need a break, I enjoy running, mediating, or going out dancing. I try to make my everyday routine as magical as possible, because I truly believe that the best moments in life happen on a week day – I prefer to have a surprise morning disco breakfast with my kids on Monday morning, than to book a five day getaway in a spa.

What would your advice be for young woman seeking a future in tech?

I would say firstly, believe in yourself – you wouldn’t have an idea in your head if you didn’t have the power to follow through. I would also urge anyone looking towards a career in technology to speak to others working in the field and never hesitate to ask for advice – I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for the mentors who helped me along the way. I truly believe that we, as businesspeople, need to invest in others, too. I try and meet with one aspiring entrepreneur a week, as I believe it is our responsibility as experienced founders to share our knowledge and encourage others to realise their vision

In terms of resources that I think are helpful, I like Reid Hoffman’s podcast, Masters of Scale and would recommend the episode with Sallie Krawcheck called “Check your blind spot”. It’s not really about tech, but it’s inspiring and shows the risk that comes with lack of diversity, as well as highlighting opportunities for women who might feel like outsiders, as well as how we can develop a perspective that could bring high value to the table.