21/10/2026
🚀 From a £2,500 Hackstarter prize to its first £45,000 angel investment, is making exciting progress in deep tech women’s health innovation.
Founded by Imperial PhD researcher Foia, Papcup is developing novel biosensor technology to make preventative healthcare more accessible by turning menstrual blood into actionable health data, helping women better understand their bodies, monitor their health, and detect potential issues earlier.
The idea has deeply personal roots. After her father suffered a stroke, Sânziana became passionate about faster, more accessible diagnostics. Later, her own experience of cervical screening inspired her to rethink how healthcare testing could become less invasive, more accessible, and better integrated into women’s everyday lives.
And that’s where Hackstarter, our flagship competition at Imperial’s Advanced Hackspace, became part of the journey.
The team achieved its first proof of concept for its proprietary biosensor technology during the programme. That breakthrough earned Papcup its first £2,500 in funding and helped prepare the groundwork for its first Innovate UK grant.
Now, Papcup has secured £45,000 in angel backing from X Ventures. Congratulations to Sânziana and the Papcup team on this fantastic milestone! 👏 Hackspace is proud to have played a part in your journey and look forward to seeing what comes next.
