Recasting the Rules of Women’s Wellness: Garima Surana’s Quest to Harness the Hormonal Rollercoaster

In a world where women’s health is usually an afterthought, one founder is leading a revolution to pay women’s bodies the respect they deserve. Garima Surana, the UK-based FemTech startup founder Rollercoaster Labs, is determined to revolutionize how women feel their hormonal cycles using evidence-driven nutrition. Her experience, rooted in a personal health breakdown, is now breaking taboos, establishing a community of support, and designing products that finally prioritize women.

A Mission Born from Personal Turmoil

The origins of Rollercoaster Labs are very personal. Two years ago, Garima was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and the recovery from it saw an unexpected and debilitating hormonal crisis. “I gained 15 kgs of weight, had crippling cycles, my cramps were terrible,” she remembers. “It was seriously something which I could not find answers for anywhere”. When her physician’s straightforward advice ,”change your diet”at first seemed flippant, it eventually sowed the seeds for her venture.

Garima did some research and learned a shocking truth: men have a 24-hour hormonal cycle, but women ride a rollercoaster 28-day cycle. Armed with this knowledge, along with the reality that the majority of “healthy” snacks are formulated based on male-focussed performance statistics, she identified a huge market need. “I thought, can I really solve the issue through making great snacks?”. “Can it be healthy, but can it also provide nutritional value simultaneously?”. This is what became the foundation of Rollercoaster Labs.

Science-Backed Nutrition for Every Stage

Rollercoaster Labs is not only a snack business, but a science-and-empathy-based platform. The startup’s anchor product is a range of protein bars tailored to the various stages of a woman’s menstrual cycle: follicular and luteal. “Our philosophy is ingredients you can pronounce,” Garima declares beaming, explaining that the bars are the cleanest in the UK, with 15 grams of protein and no added stuff.

Every bar is a powerhouse of deliberately selected ingredients:

• Hormone Support: Vitamin B6 regulates hormonal activity.
• Energy & Stamina: Adaptogens such as Maca root enhance energy and libido.
• Seed Cycling: Combination of pumpkin and flax seeds for the follicular phase and other seeds for the luteal phase supports the natural rhythms of the body.

The bars are packaged in two flavors, Matcha Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, providing a tasty solution to cravings that is meant to harmonize with a woman’s body, not compete against it.

From Idea to Impact: A Journey of Resilience

Garima’s journey has been one of extraordinary resilience. A second-generation entrepreneur, she shares the humbling and arduous aspect of her journey openly. “The last two years for me were so humbling, but also were such a shit show,” she confesses honestly. “But I wake up every day because I want to work on Rollercoaster, and that gives an immense amount of fulfillment and happiness”.

Her efforts are paying off. The startup is included in the elite JP Morgan “Future Female Forward” accelerator, has more than 500 females on its waiting list, and has had its green lights waved by key UK retailers such as Planet Organic and Selfridges.​

Down the line, Garima’s ambition goes far beyond protein bars. She intends to carry out an observational study with the NHS and the University of Greenwich to scientifically validate the efficacy of the bars. Her dream is to create the “PepsiCo of women’s health”, a house of brands that provides a wide portfolio of nutritional solutions for women, from hydration to snack food.

By addressing a 450-year history gap in women’s health, Garima Surana and Rollercoaster Labs are not only building a product, they are sparking a movement. What their story powerfully reminds us is that when women own their health, they can build systems change and empower a whole generation to live in harmony with their bodies.