(Image: Supplied)
A North East physiotherapist has secured £75,000 to develop a digital platform helping people understand pelvic health, spot symptoms early and find support.
Suzanne Vernazza received the investment from Innovate UK Women in Innovation to develop and clinically validate her Know Your Floors app.
Know Your Floors CIC founder Suzanne Vernazza said: "This funding is transformational for the project.
"It allows us to move from an idea with strong clinical foundations and community support to a properly tested, launch-ready product.
"We will be able to work alongside beta testers to refine the experience and carefully validate the AI-supported information feature, so we're building something that is not only innovative, but clinically robust and worthy of people's trust."
The app will enter beta testing in December 2026, helping users spot symptoms early, build healthy pelvic habits and find further care.
It combines daily pelvic floor exercises, varied workouts, reminders and gamification with pelvic health advice and symptom information.
An AI-supported information tool will also undergo clinical testing to check its responses are accurate and safe and direct users to appropriate support.
Ms Vernazza developed the idea after years treating NHS patients with bladder and bowel problems, pelvic pain and pelvic organ prolapse.
She also runs #SqueezeAlong, an online pelvic health community with more than 670,000 followers.
The Internet of Caring Things (IoCT) programme also backed the project with a diagnostic survey and user feedback study to guide development and reduce risks.
Jennine Jonczyk, programme lead for the Internet of Caring Things, said: "Suzanne has done something really powerful.
"She has helped to bring pelvic floor health out into the open, making a subject that can be difficult for women to talk about feel much more approachable and accessible.
"By combining her clinical expertise with the insight of a huge online community and the innovative use of gamification, she is finding a new way to engage and support women with their pelvic health.
"We are incredibly proud to have supported Suzanne and delighted to see her work receive this recognition and funding."
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Pelvic floor problems affect around one in three women and one in six men, but embarrassment, uncertainty and poor access to reliable information can delay help.
The North East and North Cumbria Women's Health Strategy lists better access to pelvic health support as a priority.
Know Your Floors aims to make pelvic health support easier to access and fit into everyday life.