# Raoul Scherwitzl

> Raoul Scherwitzl is a German-Austrian physicist turned entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Natural Cycles. After studying physics at ETH Zurich and completing a doctorate in condensed matter and materials physics at the University of Geneva, he built a regulated consumer technology company with his wife and co-founder, Elina Berglund Scherwitzl. His career is an unusual study in patient growth: scientific publishing, product development, regulatory work, fundraising, and global expansion treated as parts of the same operating system.

- **Role:** CEO and co-founder at Natural Cycles
- **Organizations:** Natural Cycles, University of Geneva, ETH Zurich, UC Santa Barbara
- **From:** Vienna, Austria
- **Nationality:** German-Austrian
- **Education:** MSc in Physics, ETH Zurich, PhD in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, University of Geneva, Study-abroad year in physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
- **Known for:** Co-founded Natural Cycles in 2013 and led its development into a regulated international consumer technology company., Helped secure European CE certification in 2017 and the first U.S. FDA clearance for a birth-control app in 2018., Co-authored research in both condensed-matter physics and digital reproductive health.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Completed ETH Zurich thesis work on the characterization of superconducting resonators.
- **2008-2012** — Conducted doctoral research in condensed matter and materials physics at the University of Geneva.
- **2012** — Worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva and began developing the idea that became Natural Cycles with Elina Berglund Scherwitzl.
- **2013** — Co-founded Natural Cycles.
- **2014** — Natural Cycles launched in Sweden.
- **2017** — Natural Cycles received European CE certification.
- **2018** — Natural Cycles became the first birth-control app cleared by the U.S. FDA; Scherwitzl and Berglund Scherwitzl moved to New York soon after.
- **2022** — Natural Cycles reached profitability and expanded its work with connected wearables.
- **2023** — Natural Cycles announced a $7 million strategic investment round led by Samsung Ventures.
- **2024** — Natural Cycles raised a $55 million Series C led by Lauxera Capital Partners.
- **2026** — Natural Cycles announced additional wearable integrations and a next-generation machine-learning algorithm after regulatory review.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Natural Cycles in 2013 and led its development into a regulated international consumer technology company.
- Helped secure European CE certification in 2017 and the first U.S. FDA clearance for a birth-control app in 2018.
- Co-authored research in both condensed-matter physics and digital reproductive health.
- Helped Natural Cycles reach profitability in 2022.
- Led the company through a $55 million Series C financing announced in 2024.
- Expanded Natural Cycles through integrations and partnerships with wearable technology companies.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Natural Cycles announced an integration with WHOOP following validation under its regulatory change-control process.
- **2026-08** — Scherwitzl announced FDA clearance of a next-generation Natural Cycles algorithm using a locked machine-learning model.
- **2026-07** — Scherwitzl described Natural Cycles' expansion work in Brazil and the establishment of a local team and national medical advisory board.
- **2026-05** — Natural Cycles added Garmin as a compatible wearable integration.
- **2026-04** — EQT Ventures published a founder profile revisiting Scherwitzl and Berglund Scherwitzl's path from physics to company building.

## Links

- Website: https://www.naturalcycles.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoulscherwitzl

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/raoul-scherwitzl
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-23