LatchAid: A Smart, Scalable, and Accessible Solution to Support Breastfeeding and Early Parenthood Journey

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The UK has the worst breastfeeding rate globally [2] (All references in Q4-appendix) Although 81% of mothers initiated breastfeeding, regrettably 90% of them gave up before they wanted to because of physical, emotional pains and lack of support.LatchAid is an award-winning FemTech start-up. Its pioneering app utilises cutting-edge 3D visualisation technology to help users learn breastfeeding skills intuitively from 3D avatars, virtual support groups to connect parents to a close-knit peer-to-peer support network, and an AI-powered virtual supporter chatbot, leveraging 1-1 live expert chats, to provide users with personalised expertise and companionship 24/7.Through 3 successful Innovate UK funded projects including the Women in Innovation Award, LatchAid has launched at Apple AppStore (peaked at No.46 in the medical category), attracted active users from 20 countries across 6 continents, and are running pilot studies with 12 NHS trusts & VirginCare across the UK.The main motivation of this project is to expand our game-changing R&D:Multi-platform & multi-language developmentScalable, robust, 24/7 virtual support platformAccurate, diverse 3D breastfeeding animations & ARComprehensive AI knowledge baseSentiment AI & multi-response action system:AI-powered virtual companionThe women's health market is estimated to be worth over $50-billion by 2025. LatchAid has a total addressable market of 100m users. Our vision is to become the global market leader and go-to breastfeeding and parenthood support app.Through B2B (targeting healthcare organisations, corporates, and insurers) and B2C (targeting mothers, mothers-to-be) business models, we aim to capture 20-30% of the UK market by 2025 while expanding to English speaking countries and the rest of the world.LatchAid has a strong technical (including Oscar/BAFTA award-winning 3D crew, world-class software/AI developers), commercial (expertise in digital health), and clinical teams (top infant-feeding, maternal health experts) and a multidisciplinary advisory board for successful R&D and commercial delivery. Our team is diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity and heritage.We aim to fund our accelerated growth through equity investment , innovation loan, and product revenues. The equity investment and product revenue will fund our commercial and operational activities.The innovation loan is critical to fast track our product R&D to secure B2B commercial deals, gain UK market domination, and expand to the international market.LatchAid's innovative solutions will deliver positive/significant health, economic, environmental, and societal impacts. Its economic growth has the potential to create a 112-times Return on Investment and over 90 employed jobs by FY2028.