Maternal health AI start-up Matresa raises £315,000 in pre-seed funding to tackle UK’s growing maternal health crisis

Maternal health AI company Matresa has raised £315,000 in pre-seed funding to accelerate the development and rollout of its personalised, technology-driven maternal health platform.

The funding comes at a critical point for maternal care in the UK, with maternal deaths now at their highest level in more than twenty years, highlighting the urgent need for earlier intervention and improved continuity of care for women[1].

Matresa is a clinical grade preventative maternal health platform for early screening and diagnostics, addressing this crisis by transforming how maternal care is delivered – intelligently, preventatively, and compassionately. It was founded by former nurse Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, whose experiences working in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) highlighted the lack of support available to mothers both before and after birth. Her own journey through motherhood only solidified these findings.

One in five women experience maternal mental health disorders and/or serious complications following childbirth, placing a significant and often overlooked strain on families, healthcare systems, and the wider economy [2]. Many of these outcomes are preventable with earlier intervention and better continuity of care, yet gaps in maternal health services persist. As a result, preventable maternal
health issues are estimated to cost the economy between £13 and £15 billion each year, reflecting lost productivity, increased healthcare spending, and long-term social impact [3].

The funding landscape is also notoriously skewed, with only 2.8% of funding going to all-female founder teams in 2024-25; a number that shows little signs of improvement [4]. This funding injection will enable Matresa to optimise its services and better support women and mothers across the country.

By integrating clinical expertise, behavioural science, and AI-powered insights, Matresa provides continuous, personalised support for mothers throughout matrescence, the complex journey from pregnancy through to early parenthood.

The platform provides structured, preventative personalised support and screening for mothers and partners during maternity leave, while giving employers visibility, continuity and insight into a traditionally unmanaged period. Currently, one in three mothers leave the workforce within a year of childbirth [5]. This worrying statistic manifests in seeing between £30k–£150k from employers needed
to replace a skilled female employee post-maternity [6]. Statistics like this show why there has never been a more important time for businesses to protect their female and pregnant employees. Matresa directly focuses on three high-risk moments (during maternity leave, pre-return to work and upon early return) to reduce retention risks. After working with one of the Big Four companies on a pilot scheme,
results showed that the well-being score rose from 5.2 to 7.8, productivity was up 20% and energy and mood were boosted by 50% [7]. By intervening early, employers avoid reactive firefighting later.

Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, pictured, founder of Matresa, said: “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. Tailored care isn’t a privilege – it’s a right. Women and mothers deserve to feel safe and supported, and we need to do more to tackle this crisis.”

Edward Stevenson, Fund Principal at SFC Capital, said: “SFC Capital was delighted to lead this investment round in Matresa. We made this investment given the talent and strength of Mari-Carmen and the growing problem that the company is solving. She has demonstrated to us tenacity and determination in all our interactions, all of which suggest to us that she is 100% committed to
improving maternal health for women everywhere.”

Set to launch this summer, Matresa represents a step change in maternal health care, giving women deeper insight into their own needs through continuous, personalised support. The platform is designed to empower mothers, support employers, and strengthen healthcare delivery at scale. By shifting maternal care from reactive to preventative, Matresa is laying the groundwork for a future in which better outcomes for women and families are not just possible, but expected.

To find out more about Matresa, visit: https://www.matresa-app.com/

Image submitted by Matresa; Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, founder of Matresa

References:

1. Ibid
2. Ibid
3. Deloitte, 2023
4. Founders Forum Group, 2025 https://ff.co/women-funding-statistics
   2025/#:~:text=Global%20VC%20Funding%20by%20Gender,throughout%20the%20startup%20growth%20journey.
5. PWC, Women in Work 2023, 2023 https://www.pwc.co.uk/economic-services/WIWI/pwc-women-in-work-index 2023.pdf
6. Matresa, 2026
7. Ibid

Staff Writer