A new player in the women’s healthcare space, Hesta Health, has officially launched in the UK, introducing a comprehensive approach to postnatal care aimed at supporting new mothers and birthing parents through the crucial first two years after childbirth.
The company, co-founded by NHS Obstetrics and Gynaecology doctor Dr Sujitha Selvarajah and former Airbnb and Babylon Health executive Amanda Cupples, enters the market with a clear mission: to close the gender health gap by offering intelligent, compassionate, and accessible care.
Backed by £2 million in pre-seed funding, the round was led by Eka Ventures, with contributions from Blue Lion Capital, Ascension Ventures, Samos Investments, and several angel investors. The oversubscribed round will help the company expand its team and roll out its digital product across the UK, while meeting regulatory requirements and investing in clinical operations and research.
Women live around 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, a disparity that Hesta Health intends to address from the outset. The global economic impact of this healthcare gap is significant, amounting to an estimated $1 trillion annually, alongside 75 million years of life lost each year.
“I felt abandoned after birth,” echoes a common experience among new parents, underlining the lack of consistent, postnatal healthcare. Hesta Health seeks to change that reality by delivering proactive, end-to-end care.
Through its tech-enabled platform, Hesta Health will provide milestone-based care pathways that combine access to specialists in pelvic health, breastfeeding, mental health, and more. The model blends digital services with in-person care, ensuring clinical excellence alongside emotional and physical support.
The platform also aims to serve underserved areas, particularly in perinatal mental health, using data insights to deliver early interventions and improve long-term wellbeing for mothers and birthing parents.
Hesta’s long-term vision is to redesign the healthcare experience for women at every life stage, starting with postnatal care but with plans to expand across the full spectrum of women’s health needs.
“We tell women to advocate for themselves — to speak up, push harder, demand more. And we absolutely should. But what if we built a healthcare system that worked for every woman in the first place? After birth, women’s health needs can increase, just as the system’s ability to meet them falls away. Those who’ve had a baby deserve more than to suffer in silence. They deserve comprehensive, clinically-led, compassionate care that helps them heal physically, thrive emotionally, and lay the foundation for lifelong health.”
— Dr. Sujitha Selvarajah, Co-Founder
“The traditional healthcare system puts the onus on people to identify that something is wrong before seeking care. Our approach flips this model, using technology and purpose-built operations to deliver the right care at the right time, improving outcomes while reducing costs for all stakeholders.”
— Amanda Cupples, Co-Founder
“Eka Ventures is delighted to lead Hesta Health’s pre-seed round as they tackle one of the most important and underserved areas in healthcare. Sujitha’s clinical expertise as a doctor and Amanda’s experience leading Airbnb across the UK, Northern Europe, and MEA make them a uniquely powerful team. Women’s health is a trillion-dollar opportunity with the potential to improve outcomes for billions — and we believe Hesta can lead that transformation.”
— Camilla Dolan, General Partner, Eka Ventures
About Hesta Health
Hesta Health is a healthcare company dedicated to ensuring that women’s health is a force for wellbeing, prosperity and growth. Founded in 2025 by Dr. Sujitha Selvarajah and Amanda Cupples, the company’s first mission focuses on postnatal care for new mothers and birthing parents. Hesta Health combines clinical excellence, technology innovation, and compassionate care to create a new benchmark in women’s health, delivering exceptional care at every life stage.
