Our Story

We are a team of female engineers committed to designing solutions specifically for women. As six Design Engineering students from Imperial College London, our diverse skills range from technical expertise to creative design, enabling us to develop our physical product and brand image. Our strong group dynamic, built through friendship and two years of collaborative experience, empowers us to approach challenges effectively.

The Mamilla Team

The Problem

In the UK 8 in 10 mothers stop breastfeeding before they would like to.

(UK Infant Feeding Survey, 2010)

One of the primary causes of this is latching difficulties. This trend and lack of a practical solution persist despite the World Health Organisation advocating for six months of exclusive breastfeeding. Latching difficulties such as pain, non-efficient milk transfer to the infant, and clogged milk ducts all lead to unnecessary strain on the mother-baby relationship during its earliest stages.

Adding to the complexity is the nationwide shortage of healthcare professionals evident even in the mother-infant care sector. While a few receive access to face-to-face assistance from lactation consultants others experience waiting times that are simply impractical, leaving them with limited options when their child's hunger is at stake!

We spoke to 50+ mothers and this is what they said:

Why?*

Pain

Poor latching often causes painful, sore nipples, creating a physical barrier to a comfortable breastfeeding experience for mothers.

Lack of Support

Access to professional breastfeeding support is limited—lactation consultants are expensive, and NHS services are often saturated, leaving many mothers without the help they need.

Baby being breastfed. Black and white photo.

Uncertainty

Women supporting each other. Black and white photo.

Many mothers struggle with doubts about milk supply and proper feeding techniques, making the goal of exclusive breastfeeding feel overwhelming.

*Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all reasons but aims to highlight a few common challenges.

Our Values

Empowerment

Mothers’ bodies are truly amazing! We’re here to encourage every mother to embrace the feeding journey that feels right for her.

Encouragement

Each mother's feeding journey is unique. We're here to encourage and support mothers in creating a positive breastfeeding experience.

Education

We aim to support mothers with the tools and information required to confidently feel in control of their breastfeeding journey.

Proudly Supported By

Meet The Team

Freya drives strategy and operations, managing finances, organising the team, and refining business goals. She coordinates progress and ensures alignment across the team to achieve effective outcomes.

Freya Wennergren Ridgwell, CEO

Clarisse’s creative thinking and interest in business strategy, combined with her past internship experience in program management drives the financial aspect of Mamilla. Thanks to user findings, she translates business insights into actionable financial plans.

Clarisse Bossard, CFO

Lena drives the creative and narrative aspects of our work, creating videos, graphics and copy for our website and marketing materials. She engages in thorough user research and creates prototypes using crochet and e-textile technology to help shape meaningful and user-centred products.

Lena Westerburg Burr, CCO

Mia ensures our product aligns with stakeholder needs. She collaborates with the CCO and CTO to validate business assumptions, conducting user and stakeholder interviews to gather insights. Her work informs our route-to-market strategy, shaping a product that truly meets customer expectations and industry demands.

Mia Stevens, CPO

Shreya’s interest in mechatronic design, combined with her passion for communicating with users to understand their daily needs and challenges, drives her design thinking, ideation, and prototyping process. Working closely with the CPO, she is responsible for Mamilla’s core technical product offering through iterative user testing.

Shreya Jei, CTO

Claudia’s passion for helping others drives her work in designing and iterating Mamilla’s app. She focuses on creating an intuitive digital experience that evolves through continuous user feedback, ensuring effective support for mothers.

Claudia Moreno, CTO