# Elina Scherwitzl

> Elina Berglund Scherwitzl is a Swedish particle physicist, engineer, and entrepreneur who co-founded Natural Cycles with fellow physicist and husband Raoul Scherwitzl. After contributing to the ATLAS experiment at CERN during the search for the Higgs boson, she wrote the first Natural Cycles algorithm and app. She now leads the New York-based side of a global company whose software became the first birth control app cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Natural Cycles
- **Organizations:** Natural Cycles, CERN, ATLAS Collaboration, CERN Alumni Advisory Board
- **Nationality:** Swedish
- **Education:** Master of Science in Engineering Physics, Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University, PhD in Elementary Particle Physics; research through the ATLAS experiment at CERN, University of Geneva
- **Known for:** Contributed to the ATLAS experiment at CERN during the discovery of the Higgs boson., Created the original Natural Cycles fertility algorithm and coded the first app., Co-founded the company behind the first birth control app cleared by the FDA.

## Career timeline

- **2008-2012** — Worked on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, including detector work and particle-physics analysis during the search for the Higgs boson.
- **2012** — Began researching a temperature-based approach and developing the algorithm that would become Natural Cycles.
- **2013** — Co-founded Natural Cycles with Raoul Scherwitzl and wrote the first version of its algorithm and app.
- **2014** — Moved to Stockholm and launched Natural Cycles in Sweden.
- **2017** — Natural Cycles received CE certification in Europe as a contraceptive medical device.
- **2018** — Natural Cycles received the first FDA De Novo clearance for a birth control app; Scherwitzl moved to the New York area.
- **2021** — The company received FDA clearance for integration with the Oura Ring.
- **2023** — The company received FDA clearance for Apple Watch integration.
- **2024** — Natural Cycles closed a $55 million Series C led by Lauxera Capital Partners.
- **2026** — Natural Cycles announced its sixth FDA clearance, covering a next-generation algorithm using statistical modeling and machine learning.

## Achievements

- Contributed to the ATLAS experiment at CERN during the discovery of the Higgs boson.
- Created the original Natural Cycles fertility algorithm and coded the first app.
- Co-founded the company behind the first birth control app cleared by the FDA.
- Named to Forbes' 2018 World's Top 50 Women in Tech list.
- Served on the CERN Alumni Advisory Board.
- Named to the Inc. 2026 Female Founders 500.
- Led Natural Cycles as it accumulated six FDA clearances by 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Natural Cycles announced its sixth FDA clearance for a next-generation fertility algorithm combining statistical modeling with machine learning.
- **2026-05** — Scherwitzl published an updated first-person account of her path from particle physics to founding Natural Cycles.
- **2026-05** — Inc. included Scherwitzl in its 2026 Female Founders 500.
- **2026-09** — Natural Cycles announced a WHOOP integration, expanding the set of supported wearable devices.

## Links

- Website: https://www.naturalcycles.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-elina-berglund-scherwitzl-43b68331
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NaturalCycles
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NaturalCycles
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturalcycles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NaturalCyclesNC
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naturalcycles

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/elina-scherwitzl
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26