London-based Matresa has raised £315,000 in pre-seed funding to develop its preventative maternal health platform, which combines clinical expertise, behavioural science, and AI to provide continuous support from pregnancy through early parenthood. The round was led by SFC Capital.
Founded by former paediatric intensive care nurse Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, Matresa is building a clinical-grade screening and diagnostics platform designed to shift maternal care from reactive to preventative. The platform provides personalised support and screening for mothers and partners during maternity leave, while also giving employers visibility into a period that typically goes unmanaged – a positioning that reflects a growing trend in femtech companies tying maternal health outcomes to workforce retention.
“Poor maternal healthcare isn’t just happening in a vacuum: it affects other areas of healthcare, and stunts women’s career growth, which in turn impacts businesses and the wider economy,” said Sanchez-Morris. “Tailored care isn’t a privilege – it’s a right.”
The business case is clear: one in three mothers leave the workforce within a year of childbirth, costing employers an estimated £30K-£150K per replacement. Meanwhile, preventable maternal health issues are estimated to cost the UK economy £13-15 billion annually. Matresa is targeting both sides of that equation – better health outcomes for mothers and reduced attrition for employers.
Edward Stevenson, Fund Principal at SFC Capital, said the investment was driven by “the talent and strength of Mari-Carmen and the growing problem that the company is solving,” adding that she “demonstrated tenacity and determination” and is “100% committed to improving maternal health for women everywhere.”
The platform is set to launch this summer and will follow a dyadic mother-baby approach aligned with clinical pathways, using continuous maternal data to enable earlier intervention.
