Тhe mental health of young mothers remains a vital but often overlooked aspect of public health policy. Postpartum depression is a depressive condition that occurs after childbirth, which could appear after the birth of a first child, with any subsequent pregnancies, after a miscarriage, or following an abortion.
On average, 10 to 20% of mothers experience postpartum depression, which means that with 50,000 to 60,000 births annually, at least 5,000 to 6,000 women are affected. These numbers reflect similar trends in Europe, the US, and globally.
Momfident is a Bulgarian startup that aims to address this issue. The company, founded by Zhenya Dimitrova, a mother and entrepreneur who experienced firsthand the emotional and physical toll of new motherhood, together with her co-founder Stoyanka Cherkezova-Mateva, focuses on providing much-needed guidance and mental health support.
We caught up with Dimitrova to discuss the role of a mental health femtech startup in a ‘men’s world’.
The gap in maternal mental health
Тhe idea behind Dimitrova’s work was shaped by her personal experience of balancing motherhood with an entrepreneurial mindset. “I had already been part of the startup ecosystem, and I’ve always been curious about finding solutions for complex problems,” shares Dimitrova, who is a second-time founder, and also leads Namiram.bg, a platform that connects service providers with individuals seeking to get tasks done quickly and easily.
“Initially, I believed that being a woman wouldn’t stop me from pursuing my dreams and achieving my goals. However, my expectations and reality were quite different — I realized how demanding and overwhelming it was to become a mother for the first time,” adds Zhenya.
Approximately one in every 1,000 women experiences postpartum psychosis, with experts noting that the physical stress of childbirth, especially when coupled with other medical issues, can play a role in triggering the condition. Additionally, up to one in five women are diagnosed with a mental illness during the perinatal period, which spans from pregnancy to the first year of their child’s life.
“I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and dealing with emotions I didn’t anticipate,” she shares.
“Yet, there was little guidance tailored specifically for mothers’ mental well-being. Many women feel guilty or afraid to speak up about what they’re going through.”
Determined to address this gap, Dimitrova and her team conducted extensive research, surveying 400 women and consulting maternal health specialists. The findings confirmed a widespread need for emotional and psychological support, with many mothers experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress linked to societal pressure. “We are expected to be good mothers while also excelling in our professional lives and handling countless other responsibilities. There is a constant clash between expectations and reality,” says Zhenya.
In our conversation, Dimitrova candidly shares that motherhood brings a profound shift in self-identity, which can be “both shocking and disorienting”. She highlights the importance of social support, pointing out that women without the help of their families or partners tend to face greater difficulty in adjusting to these changes.
“Most of the available information focuses on babies — how to prepare for birth and how to care for newborns. However, very little is said about how to take care of ourselves as mothers,” explains Dimitrova.
“And as the golden rule goes, we must first care for ourselves in order to properly care for others.”
An AI companion for emotional and practical support
The startup developed an AI-powered assistant designed to provide accessible, research-based advice in a conversational format. The assistant mimics a conversation with a specialist, offering mothers guidance whenever they have a question or concern.
“We want to translate complex academic research into something mothers can actually use in their day-to-day lives,” the founder explains.
“It’s about making expert knowledge more accessible and ensuring no mother feels alone in her journey.”
Momfident, currently in beta testing, is partnering with a consumer brand for their official launch. It is also leading Bulgaria’s first extensive study on maternal mental health, with the goal of collecting data from 1,000 women to enhance and optimize the platform.
Although the initial rollout is focused on Bulgaria, the startup has its sights set on international markets. Zhenya shares also that they see AI-powered localization as a key advantage.
“Most maternal mental health research is in English, which makes it easier to scale our solution globally,” she notes. “We want to make this support system available to mothers everywhere, regardless of language or location.”
Future developments include expanding the platform to cover fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum support. “In the long term, we aim to integrate into the healthcare system, which requires rigorous validation. Eventually, we hope to conduct clinical trials to measure the impact of our platform on preventing anxiety and encouraging timely professional intervention,” adds Dimitrova.
Challenging investment bias in femtech
Despite its potential, the startup faces challenges in securing investment, shares the founder. Currently raising €400,000 in funding, the team has encountered skepticism in a largely male-dominated investor landscape.
“Femtech is still an emerging sector, and many investors, especially male ones, struggle to see the market opportunity,” the founder admits. “That’s why we emphasize the numbers. The maternal mental health market is growing at 29% annually, and there’s an urgent need for solutions”. Moreover, 50 percent of men whose partner has postpartum depression, have an increased risk of postpartum depression themselves.
Her advice to female entrepreneurs facing similar challenges? “Believe in yourself, take risks, and play the game. If you don’t play, you can’t win.”
