London-based maternal health AI startup Matresa has secured £315,000 in pre-seed funding led by SFC...
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The article reports a small pre-seed funding round for a new entrant in the vertical AI healthcare space, which is a known trajectory but does not yet reach structural significance.
London-based maternal health AI startup Matresa has secured £315,000 in pre-seed funding led by SFC Capital to address the UK's maternal health crisis, where maternal deaths are at their highest level in over 20 years and 1 in 5 women experience serious postpartum complications. Founded by former nurse Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, the platform combines clinical expertise, behavioural science and AI to deliver personalised screening and continuous support from pregnancy through postpartum. This funding round is particularly notable as female founders received just 2.8% of venture capital in 2024-25, highlighting the persistent gender funding gap despite women-led ventures tackling critical societal challenges. With 1 in 3 mothers leaving the workforce within a year of childbirth, Matresa's dual approach serving both healthcare systems and employers positions AI-driven maternal care as a strategic investment in health equity and economic productivity.