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Hesta Health Launches Hesta Labs alongside £1.5m R&D programme to build the evidence base for the future of postnatal care
Hesta Health today announces the launch of Hesta Labs, its new research and development arm, alongside a £1.5 million R&D programme supported by Innovate UK funding as part of the Biomedical Catalyst.
London, September 15 2026 - Hesta Health today announces the launch of Hesta Labs, its new research and development arm focused on investigating unanswered questions in women’s health and translating what it learns into better care.
The launch reflects Hesta’s belief that improving women’s healthcare requires investment in the questions medicine still cannot adequately answer, alongside better delivery of the evidence and care that already exist.
Hesta Labs will bring together clinical research, user research, data, technology and real-world experimentation. It will work with women and birthing parents, clinicians, researchers, healthcare organisations and technology partners to identify important gaps in women’s health and test new approaches to addressing them.
Hesta Labs will operate as part of Hesta Health, creating a continuous loop between research and care: questions identified through healthcare delivery can be investigated through Labs, with the resulting evidence and learning informing how future care is designed.
Hesta Labs will also be home to HEARD by Hesta, Hesta’s ongoing programme for user research, co-design and participatory research. Through interviews, surveys, testing and other research opportunities, HEARD by Hesta will enable women and birthing parents to contribute their experiences and perspectives to the questions Hesta investigates and the healthcare it develops.
The Hesta Labs manifesto sets out three principles for the work: invest in the unknown; play, with rigour; and seek, understand and act on care-changing data.
Dr Sujitha Selvarajah, co-founder of Hesta Health and NHS obgyn doctor, said:
“Throughout my clinical career, I’ve seen the difference between areas of medicine where we understand the problem and have a clear path to treating it, and those where women are still living with questions we cannot adequately answer.
There is an enormous amount we still need to understand about women’s health. Hesta Labs is our commitment to invest in those questions, bring the right people together, test ideas rigorously and build evidence that can ultimately improve care.”
The launch formalises work already underway at Hesta.
Over recent months, Hesta has been working with Modality Partnership, supported by Innovate UK, on a feasibility study testing a new approach to postnatal care with women and birthing parents across East Surrey, Birmingham and Yorkshire.
The programme explored three central questions: whether the approach could deliver clinical value, whether it was technically feasible to deliver, and whether participants themselves found it valuable.
While analysis is still underway, early feedback has been encouraging. 95% of women who took part in the study had a better understanding of their own health after completing the Hesta Health Check.
One participant said:
“During pregnancy there are so many checks but barely anything after. It was wonderful to have so many blood results and really well thought out responses to the results of both the blood test and the questionnaire. The service felt very personal.”
Full findings from the programme are expected to be published at the end of October.
The feasibility work has also surfaced new questions for Hesta to investigate and provided a foundation for the next stage of its research and development in postnatal care.
Hesta has now secured Innovate UK backing as part of the Biomedical Catalyst to deliver a £1.5 million R&D programme. The programme will build on the feasibility work delivered through the first grant, aiming to develop and test a new approach to postnatal care at greater scale..
Amanda Cupples, co-founder of Hesta Health, said:
“The Modality programme showed us the value of creating the space to test new approaches and learn from delivering care in the real world. Hesta Labs makes that a permanent capability within Hesta.
With new backing from Innovate UK, we have an opportunity to build on what we’ve learned, work with ambitious partners and answer some much bigger questions about what better postnatal care could look like.”
Hesta is inviting researchers, healthcare organisations, clinicians and technology companies interested in working with Hesta Labs to get in touch at https://www.hestahealth.com/hestalabs-collaborators
Women and birthing parents interested in joining HEARD by Hesta and contributing to Hesta’s user research and future research programmes can register their interest at https://www.hestahealth.com/heardbyhesta
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
PR & Comms Representative:
Sera Holland / +44 (0) 7971 032687/ press@hesta.health
Hesta Health Launches "Fourth Trimester Care"
Solving the UK’s postpartum present dilemma by giving the gift of supported recovery to mothers.
London, July 22 2026 - Here to help solve the nation’s ‘default to baby’ gifting dilemma for postpartum mothers - and their partners, family, friends and colleagues - today Hesta Health launches an innovative new “Fourth Trimester Care” package.
Revealed today in the findings of a new survey commissioned by Hesta of 100 UK adults aged 25-45 in the UK via online research platform, Prolific:
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59% of respondents find it easier to buy for the baby, relying on traditional baby items as their default fallback option
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38% have never purchased a gift for mothers’ recovery or wellbeing, simply because it either didn’t occur to them or weren’t sure it would help
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57% would consider gifting access to expert health or medical support with 73% stating that they would be likely to purchase a dedicated health and recovery care gift for mothers if they had one available
Available exclusively via Hesta Health’s website, the UK’s dedicated postnatal health service’s new “Fourth Trimester Care” package delivers the perfect gifting option to meet this untapped demand:
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Comprehensive Fourth Trimester Care: a complete package that begins with postnatal planning during pregnancy and continues with expert clinical care through the first 12 weeks after birth
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Initial pre-birth postnatal planning session, followed by personalised support after birth to help them feel informed, prepared and cared for throughout their recovery.
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Access to your own dedicated postnatal team on WhatsApp for peace of mind including midwives, lactation consultants and GP’s from birth onwards
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Early recovery health check at 6 weeks including blood tests and results review
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12 week pelvic health review with a dedicated physiotherapist to help support long term recovery
Amanda Cupples, Co-Founder of Hesta Health:
“Until now, postpartum presents have heavily defaulted towards baby because it was either perceived as easier or because people weren’t aware that you could give the gift of supported postnatal recovery to the women in their lives.
At Hesta, we passionately believe that birth is just the beginning and that while you take care of baby, someone needs to take care of you. Postnatal health is complex, personal and all too often overlooked.
Being able to give the gift of recovery to someone you care about across all aspects of their health, helping mothers feel supported and take the next step with physical and emotional confidence is so powerful and we couldn’t be more proud of helping make that happen.”
Thanks to Hesta Health, being able to give the gift of postnatal recovery support to the new or expecting mother in your life is now just as easy as buying her flowers, with an easy one click option at £150, available via the Hesta website.
Currently being rolled out across London, with UK-wide coverage coming soon, Hesta’s Fourth Trimester Care gives mothers the monitoring, reassurance and expert clinical support that they’ve had during their previous three trimesters, helping to mitigate and minimise the impact of the current ‘care cliff’ that women fall off once they’ve given birth.
For a limited time post launch, the gift of expert postnatal care will come with a little something extra from friends of Hesta, Jo Loves. To mark the launch of Hesta Gifting, the first 50 Hesta Gifts will come in an exclusive package with a complimentary Jo Loves Fragrance Paintbrush™.
A small luxury that's easy to carry and simple to use, chosen because even the smallest rituals of self-care can help someone reconnect with themselves during recovery after birth.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
PR & Comms Representative:
Sera Holland / +44 (0) 7971 032687/ sera@reputationatelier.com
Hesta Health Launches to Radically Improve Women's Healthcare, Beginning with Postnatal Care
New healthcare platform addresses critical gaps in women's health, beginning with comprehensive postnatal support.
London, 31 July 2025 – Hesta Health, an innovative healthcare company focused on closing the women's health gap, today announced its official launch with the mission to ensure every woman and girl can realise their full potential through better healthcare. The company has secured £2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Eka Ventures, with participation from Blue Lion Capital, Ascension Ventures and Samos Investments along with angel investors.
Hesta Health is co-founded by Dr Sujitha Selvarajah and Amanda Cupples, whose combined experience positions Hesta Health to build healthcare that's equitable, intelligent and fit for purpose. Dr Sujitha Selvarajah is an NHS Obstetrics & Gynaecology doctor with a background in global public health, research at Oxford and UCL, and international policy and advocacy. Amanda Cupples is a seasoned executive with over 20 years experience, most recently as Managing Director of Northern Europe & MEA at Airbnb and CCO/COO of Babylon Health. Together, they are focused on creating a new benchmark of care for women at every life stage, beginning with women and birthing parents who have had a baby in the last two years.
Addressing a Critical Health Gap
Women spend approximately 25% more of their lives in ill health than men, creating a healthcare gap that limits potential, drives inequality, and reflects a system that hasn't been built with half of the world's population in mind. This gap represents a $1 trillion annual lost economic opportunity globally, with 75 million years of life lost every year. 1
“I felt abandoned after birth,” reflects the experience of countless new parents who find themselves navigating a healthcare system that provides minimal support during one of life's most transformative periods.
Hesta Health's first mission is focused on this critical juncture by building healthcare that truly works for new parents, radically improving health journeys in the two years after childbirth.
Comprehensive Care, Reimagined At Scale
Hesta Health's platform will deliver integrated, tech-enabled postnatal care that combines clinical excellence with compassionate support. Milestone-led care pathways, with access to end-to-end specialist support including pelvic health, breastfeeding, and mental health services, Hesta aims to set a new benchmark for care of postnatal women. Combining recovery-led plans with predictive insights, the service aims to both help women and birthing parents recover from childbirth and build a foundation for longevity and wellness longer-term.
Hesta Health's technology-first approach enables scalable interventions in underserved areas, with particular strength in perinatal mental health services. The platform's digital-first model with in-person support when needed will deliver end-to-end healthcare that is cost-effective and accessible to new mothers and birthing parents.
Investment and Growth
The company's official launch is supported by a £2 million pre-seed funding round that will enable Hesta Health's UK market entry, including digital product development, regulatory compliance, and team expansion across product, technology, clinical operations, and research functions.
Hesta Health represents the first step in a broader vision for healthcare - one where comprehensive, compassionate care is the standard, not the exception, for all who need it.
“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.
For media enquiries, please contact: press@hesta.health
1 McKinsey Health Institute & World Economic Forum (2024). Closing the women's health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies.