A striking disparity in breastfeeding statistics sparked an innovation journey for Danish designers Rie Maktabi and Monika Havnø: while 98% of mothers wish to breastfeed, only 10% manage to do so for the recommended six months. Today, after five years of development, their startup Caramma is launching a revolutionary baby bottle that aims to bridge this gap.
The founders’ journey began during their work as designers in Danish maternity wards, where they discovered a significant oversight in baby bottle design. “When we asked midwives about baby bottle recommendations, they were unable to recommend any options,” Maktabi explains. “The existing bottles simply don’t resemble breastfeeding in either function or form.”
The problem became personal when both founders experienced breastfeeding challenges with their own children. These experiences, combined with their background in collaborative design, led them to develop a solution with input from over a hundred families and health professionals.
The result is the Caramma support bottle, winner of the Danish Design Award 2024, which features double-patented technology that maintains a collapsible, air-free bottle design. Unlike traditional bottles that encourage babies to lie on their backs for feeding, Caramma’s design supports all natural breastfeeding positions, promoting skin-to-skin contact and bonding opportunities for all caregivers.
“Our goal was to create a feeding experience that closely mimics breastfeeding, enabling that crucial bonding and skin-to-skin contact for all caregivers,” notes Havnø. This inclusive approach aligns with Europe’s expanding parental leave policies, supporting greater father involvement in infant care.
The development process exemplifies a different approach to startup building. Rather than seeking venture capital, the founders have relied on non-dilutive funding and personal investment, maintaining complete control over their vision. The company operates with a lean core team of three, supplemented by ten specialized consultants who have been involved since the beginning.
“As founders, we chose to build our company differently,” Maktabi explains. “We wanted the freedom to create an organization that aligns with our values and supports sustainable, human-centered growth.”
Today’s launch begins in Denmark, with production split between Germany, France, and Denmark to maintain local supply chains. While the product is immediately available across Europe through their website, the company plans a structured roll-out across Nordic countries over the next three months, followed by a focused expansion into Germany starting with a major midwife congress in May.
The bottle’s innovative features include a slow natural flow that mimics mammary glands, allowing babies to control their feeding pace and recognize natural fullness cues. The design is also environmentally conscious, with bottles that are foldable for efficient transport and constructed from mono-materials that can be easily disassembled.
Looking ahead, the founders remain focused on sustainable growth and are open to strategic partnerships that align with their vision of human-centered innovation. “We’re focused on solving problems and creating long-term value rather than rapid scaling,” says Maktabi.
By addressing a universal need while challenging traditional startup growth models, Caramma represents a new wave of women-led innovation in healthcare. “It’s possible to do it your way,” reflects Havnø. “We’re part of creating new narratives around what a founder looks like, what a startup looks like, and ultimately, what success looks like.”
