Munich Startup: What does Meliodays do? What problem do you solve?
Simone Sabbione, Meliodays Medical: We are developing the first hormone-free, locally-acting treatment for period pain.
Munich Startup: But that already exists!
Simone Sabbione: Actually, no. Our comprehensive patent research in 2022 confirmed this. It has never been investigated what happens when a conventional painkiller like ibuprofen is delivered directly to the uterus. That’s exactly our approach: with MelioOne, we are developing an IUD that delivers a painkiller locally instead of hormones.
“If men had period pain, this would have been solved long ago”
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Simone Sabbione: I founded Meliodays together with my brother Benjamin and my husband Martin. For Martin, it’s already his third startup, and Benjamin is a gynecologist. When I talked to him about period pain, he said: “If men had period pain, this would have been solved long ago.” That sentence not only made me angry, but also gave me strong motivation to create a better treatment standard. That’s how the idea for MelioOne came about.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Simone Sabbione: The first and biggest challenge so far was convincing initial investors of our idea. After that, things became much easier – and finally we were able to successfully close an oversubscribed pre-seed round at the beginning of 2025.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to stand in one year, where in five years?
Simone Sabbione: In one year, we want to start preclinical studies and have completed our seed round. In five years, MelioOne should have gone through the approval process in Europe following a successful market entry in the US.
“You never feel alone”
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Simone Sabbione: Thanks to the high density of startup events and hubs, it’s always possible to exchange ideas with other founders here. That inspires and provides support – especially on the not always easy path of founding a company. You never feel alone, and that helps tremendously.
Munich Startup: Hidden champion or shooting star?
Simone Sabbione: Open champion.
