What inspired you to create CARÁ Health? Was there a personal experience that motivated you to start?

I’m a pediatric nurse specializing in intensive care for premature newborns, with experience at Germany’s top university hospitals. Working with midwives in Canada and the UK sparked my curiosity about pregnancy and birth, leading me to witness my first delivery in Canada and later work in the labor and maternity ward at Charité in Berlin.

When I moved to Estonia four years ago, I couldn’t continue working as a nurse due to the language barrier. Instead, I started writing evidence-based articles to simplify complex medical information for parents. I realized, over the 6 years, of working daily with parents, that despite the abundance of apps and resources available, many parents lacked access to practical, evidence-based guidance.

One article I wrote on colostrum harvesting highlighted its significant psychological and physiological benefits for mothers and babies. This revealed a gap in the market, as no suitable product existed for this practice, inspiring me to develop one. Luckily, I met my co-founders, Carina Vantsi and Keiro Vantsi, who had entrepreneurial experience. Together, we developed a product that became the starting point for CARÁ Health.

As we worked on this, we discovered gaps in the maternity care system, especially in Estonia, where midwives do not typically offer postpartum home visits. In Germany, for example, the government funds up to 16 home visits in the first 12 weeks after birth. Realizing the critical need for postpartum support, we started offering these visits and 20 additional services in Tallinn in 2022. From there, CARÁ Health grew into a comprehensive maternity ecosystem, combining physical services and technology.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when starting CARÁ Health, and how did you overcome them?

Navigating the healthcare system was a challenge, as no structures existed for the services we aimed to offer. Securing the necessary medical license was definitely complex, but my co-founder, Carina, pushed through legal barriers with relentless determination. Her persistence was key to building a solid foundation within a system not designed for our vision.

The second challenge was positioning our app within the healthcare space. Many health-tech startups rush to register their apps as medical devices, believing this adds credibility and enables insurance reimbursement. However, this approach often restricts a startup’s agility and speed, which are critical in the early stages. We made the conscious decision to avoid it initially. Instead, we focused on user experience and ensured everything in the app was evidence-based and validated by our medical advisory board. This allowed us to quickly improve the product and respond to user feedback without being tied to regulatory constraints to slow us down.

How did it feel to take CARÁ Health international, starting with the German market? What were the key lessons you learned during this process?

The journey really began when we raised VC funding in December 2023. This allowed us to scale up and approach the German market with more resources and confidence.

One of our early key decisions was hiring locally in Germany to make a strong market entry. We sought professionals experienced in the maternity field, well-connected, and familiar with the complexities of the German market. Their expertise brought us invaluable credibility and insights.

One of the biggest lessons we learned was about user expectations. In Germany, users have extremely high standards and are much more direct in their feedback. This meant accelerating development to meet the demands of a more saturated and competitive market.

Despite the challenges, the expansion has been incredibly rewarding. It validated our belief that while maternity care systems vary from country to country, the core problems—fragmentation, lack of support, and accessibility—are universal. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited about what’s next, including our plans to enter the UK market.

Are there any cultural or market-specific differences between Estonia and Germany that come to mind?

One of the most noticeable differences is how users provide feedback. In Estonia, users are incredibly constructive and kind in their approach. They often express gratitude for the work we’re doing and frame their feedback in a supportive way, which helps us continuously improve in a positive environment.

In Germany, the feedback is much more direct. German users don’t hesitate to point out what isn’t working. Their approach is more like, “This does not work—fix it.” It reflects the maturity and saturation of the German market, where users are accustomed to polished, high-quality products and services.

Another interesting cultural difference is the level of interaction. In Germany, particularly in a vibrant, international city like Berlin, people are more outgoing. For example, when we had our opening event in Berlin, people would walk in, ask questions, and openly engage with us about what we were doing. It was refreshing to see such curiosity.

There’s also a difference in how professionalism is perceived. Estonians tend to underpromise and overdeliver, which I find incredibly admirable. They are meticulous about their commitments and consistently exceed expectations, whether in startups or general business interactions.

In the Estonian startup ecosystem, I don’t know many companies that consist of several female founders. How does it feel to work in a team with two female founders and one male founder?

I think having a diverse founding team brings incredible value. Our team dynamic has always been very business-oriented, as we met to build a company. We have always been extremely honest and transparent with each other about our expectations, roles, and goals. This is crucial in the early stages of building a startup.
As founders, we had the opportunity to really get to know each other while developing the first stages of CARÁ. We’ve always been extremely honest and transparent about our expectations, roles, and goals, which is so important in the early stages of building a startup.

I love our diversity of perspectives, not only in our gender but beyond. For instance, Carina and Keiro are parents, so they have firsthand experience of the maternity journey. I bring a more medical and rational viewpoint, which balances the emotional aspects.

This mix of experiences and approaches strengthens our decision-making process because we can see things from different angles.

Combining different backgrounds, genders, and experiences creates a richer and more comprehensive perspective. It’s not about having one dominant voice—it’s about blending those voices to create something better.

When I looked at CARÁ’s website, everything seemed very UX and design-oriented. Is this natural for you, or have you put much effort into it?

The design and user experience (UX) focus at CARÁ is something that comes naturally to our team, but it’s also something we’ve put a lot of effort into learning and improving. We haven’t spent any money on branding—it’s all been done by us, from the technology side to the interior and experience in our spaces.

What makes it work so well is that we share a similar taste and vision for what CARÁ should look and feel like. If you looked at each of our Pinterest boards, you’d probably see the same images! This shared vision has made the process smooth and collaborative.

On the UX side, much of the credit goes to Keiro, who has experience in business information technology and is particularly passionate about UX. His knowledge has been invaluable in ensuring that our app isn’t just functional but also intuitive and enjoyable to use. It is the core of everything we do because we’re building something that’s deeply personal and supportive. Maternity is such an important time in someone’s life, and we want every interaction with CARÁ—whether it’s in the app or in our physical spaces—to feel seamless, safe, and empowering.

It’s not just about looking good—it’s about creating an experience that feels right.

What were the most critical steps in your successful fundraising?

One of the most critical steps was simply having the courage to pitch our idea to unknown people. That first step—putting yourself out there—can be intimidating, but it’s essential.

Another key element was relationship building. Fundraising isn’t just about presenting a great idea; it’s about establishing trust and a mutual connection with potential investors. For our Angel Round, it was important that all three founders were present in every meeting, and this worked to our advantage because we complement each other so well - we literally completed each other's sentences. This helped us make a strong impression.

We also spent a lot of time educating ourselves. For example, I found the “Pursuit of Scrappiness” podcast particularly helpful in learning about the fundraising process and understanding the mindset of successful founders and investors.

We’ve always been very honest about our goals and challenges, and this resonated with our investors. The early investors who backed us often communicated with each other without us knowing. This kind of network validation worked in our favor and showed that we were consistent and reliable.

Our angel round was largely about selling the vision. We were already generating revenue, but this came from our space in Tallinn, and had not developed our app yet.

By the second round, we had some data and results to back up our story, which made those conversations more straightforward. That said, we are always realistic to set ambitious goals. We have seen, that Investors appreciate founders who don’t overpromise but instead deliver on their projections, and ideally above.

Another interesting point is that CARÁ was the first FemTech startup in Estonia to raise VC funding. We had to work hard to convey the potential and impact of what we were building.

Ultimately, fundraising is very much a two-way street—it’s not just about investors choosing you; it’s about you choosing investors who align with your vision and can actively support your journey.

What are your biggest dreams for CARÁ Health?

I vividly remember our first call with one of our investors, during which they asked about our long-term goals. Without hesitation, I said that I hope CARÁ becomes the first FemTech unicorn from Estonia. That dream hasn’t changed—it’s still the aim we are building toward.

In ten years, I see CARÁ Health as a global leader in maternity and women’s health. We want to redefine how maternity care is delivered by leveraging innovative technology to make it more accessible, personalized, and holistic. Our app will not only support women during pregnancy but also evolve into a comprehensive health companion for every stage of their lives. We envision an all-in-one platform where users can track their health, conduct at-home testing, and seamlessly integrate smart devices like wearables and health monitors.

Ultimately, CARÁ Health is about empowerment—giving women the tools, knowledge, and support they need to take control of their health. We’re building not just a company but a movement that challenges how healthcare is delivered and ensures no woman feels unsupported during one of the most important journeys of her life.