Muse Capital Launches Optima to Revolutionize Female Athlete Healthcare

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 08, 2026 – In a move poised to reshape the landscape of professional sports, venture capital firm Muse Capital today announced the launch of The Optima Program, a groundbreaking health and performance platform designed exclusively for elite female athletes and executives. The initiative, spearheaded by Muse Capital and its sports advisory arm Muse Sport, aims to dismantle the long-standing 'one-size-fits-all' model in sports science by providing women with direct access to a suite of science-backed, personalized health solutions.

For decades, the specific biological needs of female athletes have been a footnote in research and training protocols predominantly designed for and by men. The Optima Program seeks to correct this historical imbalance by moving beyond academic study and into immediate, practical application. It delivers a comprehensive, 360-degree support system covering physical, mental, and long-term health, empowering women to maximize their potential both in and out of the competitive arena.

"For too long, the sports industry has applied a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to performance that ignores the biological uniqueness of women," said Assia Grazioli-Venier, Co-Founder of Muse Capital. "With Optima, we are moving beyond research and into immediate action. We are providing women in sport with the validated, high-quality, science-backed solutions they deserve to optimize their health, their careers, and their longevity."

A New Era for Women's Sports Science

The launch of Optima arrives at a pivotal moment. While women's professional sports are experiencing explosive growth, with revenues expanding 4.5 times faster than their male counterparts, the infrastructure supporting female athletes has lagged dangerously behind. This disparity has tangible consequences, from higher rates of specific injuries to burnout driven by training regimens that fail to account for female hormonal cycles and physiological realities.

The program directly confronts this gap by curating and delivering cutting-edge innovations that address the full spectrum of a woman's health journey. It acknowledges that factors like stress, recovery, and hormonal fluctuations are not secondary concerns but core components of performance. This is a significant departure from traditional models that have often treated women as smaller versions of male athletes.

"For decades, the unique needs of female athletes have been an afterthought or ignored completely," stated Marina Pavlovic Rivas, Co-Founder and CEO of Eli Health, one of Optima's key partners. "Cortisol imbalances – driven by intense training loads, inadequate recovery, and chronic stress – have measurable consequences for athletic performance, injury risk, and hormone health. Joining the Optima Program is an incredible opportunity for Eli to deliver real-time cortisol insights directly to the elite female athletes who need them, furthering their acceleration in sport."

The Platform and Its Partners: A 360-Degree Approach

At its core, Optima is a scalable digital platform, with technology provided by Flywheel Ventures Group, Inc., that integrates services from a carefully vetted roster of ten category-defining companies. This ecosystem of partners ensures that support extends far beyond the playing field, addressing the 'whole woman' in a way the sports industry has never before attempted at scale.

The partnerships reflect a deep understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing women in high-performance environments:

• Performance and Daily Wellness: Companies like Sequel are redesigning fundamental products. "While at Stanford, Greta Meyer (Sequel's Co-founder & CEO) and I realized the tampon, created nearly a century ago by a man, needed to be redesigned with performance and engineering in mind," said Amanda Calabrese, Co-Founder and CMO. The program also includes wellness support from Beekeeper's Naturals (immunity) and Hugh & Grace (hormone-supportive personal care).

• Hormonal and Physical Health: Eli Health provides crucial hormone monitoring, while BeSound offers advanced breast imaging. "Women in high performance environments are used to optimizing everything. But when it comes to breast screening, most have been left with outdated tools or none at all," said Bailey Renger, Founder and CEO of BeSound. "BeSound is modernizing that."

• Mental and Maternal Health: Recognizing that an athlete's career coincides with key life stages, Optima includes Cofertility for fertility planning and Mavida Health for specialized mental healthcare. "This program represents a meaningful step forward in addressing the unique mental health needs of women in sport," stated Sarah Oreck, MD, MS, Co-Founder and CEO of Mavida Health. Postpartum support is provided by Mahmee, ensuring a continuum of care.

"At Cofertility, we know the importance of supporting women through deeply personal health decisions," commented Lauren Makler, Co-Founder and CEO. "Optima is helping to rewrite that narrative, addressing the whole woman, so she doesn't have to choose between her ambitions and her well-being."

Strategic Vision: Investing in the Underserved

The Optima Program is not merely an altruistic endeavor; it is a calculated business strategy rooted in Muse Capital's core investment thesis. Co-founded by Assia Grazioli-Venier and Rachel Springate, the firm has built its reputation by identifying and investing in 'overlooked' consumer technology markets with multi-billion-dollar potential. Their focus on women's health has already yielded significant returns, most notably with their investment in Midi Health, a virtual menopause care clinic that recently achieved a $1 billion 'unicorn' valuation.

By launching Optima, Muse Capital is leveraging its expertise in both women's health and professional sports. Through its Muse Sport arm, the firm has already invested in properties like the NWSL's Washington Spirit and the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. Optima represents the powerful synthesis of these two focus areas, creating a new market category at the intersection of femtech and sports-tech.

This initiative demonstrates a keen understanding that providing essential, tailored services to a rapidly growing, high-value demographic is a significant commercial opportunity. It positions Muse Capital not just as an investor, but as a builder of the very ecosystem in which its portfolio companies can thrive.

From Sailboats to Global Leagues: The Rollout and Future

Optima is making its debut in a dynamic and forward-thinking environment: the world of professional sailing. The program has launched in partnership with the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, the first female-led ownership group in the league, co-owned by Grazioli-Venier. The partnership is part of SailGP's broader Impact League, an initiative that rewards teams for positive environmental and social action.

"At Red Bull Italy SailGP, we are proud to support The Optima Program and to promote its services, expanding access to healthcare for women within SailGP and beyond," commented Cathy Ryan, the team's manager. This initial rollout will offer Optima's services to athletes and executives across the entire SailGP league.

This is just the beginning. Muse Capital confirmed that active conversations are underway to expand the program to other global women's sports leagues and teams. The scalable nature of the platform is designed for rapid adoption, with the potential to set a new standard of care for female athletes worldwide. To mark the launch, Muse Capital will gather its partners and colleagues from the worlds of sports and women's health for an inaugural event in New York City on May 28th, signaling its commitment to building a powerful coalition for change.