Maternal Health AI Startup Matresa Secures 315K Pound Pre-Seed Funding

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 18 February 2026

• London-based startup Matresa has raised £315,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by SFC Capital
• This is a significant milestone for female-founded startups in the UK
• The startup plans to address the rising challenges in maternal health

Matresa specializes in AI-driven maternal health technology for women in the UK; it's just completed pre-seed funding round with SFC Capital, raising GBP 315,000.

Matresa will provide personalized assistance to women at every stage of their pregnancy and postpartum to help overcome some of the many problems currently facing maternity services in the UK.

The need for such a solution is underscored by the current state of maternal care in the UK: A recent report found that the current level of maternal mortality is the highest level in over 20 years; at least 20 percent of new mothers experience significant complications during and after delivery.

The idea for Matresa’s AI-driven maternal health solutions came from Founder Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris.

She is a former pediatric intensive care nurse and mother who saw first-hand how mother’s access to maternal healthcare directly influences not only their own success but that of their families and communities as well. In her opinion, access to appropriate and individualized maternal care is not just a privilege; it is a universal right.

The investment comes at a time when female-founded companies are struggling to gain access to funding, with new figures revealing that only 2.8 percent of venture capital investment in 2024-25 went to female-founded companies.

However, Matresa’s success in securing investment shows that investors are increasingly interested in technology-based solutions to social problems and Sanchez-Morris’s vision.

Edward Stevenson, Fund Principal at SFC Capital, named the quality of the founding team and their mission as important factors in making the investment.

“We invested in Matresa because of the quality of the team and their desire to solve an important problem. In discussions with Mari, it was clear that she is passionate about making a positive impact in maternal healthcare around the world.”