Startup Story
Zainab Dakik is a Tanzania-born expert on emerging markets, with a particular focus on production and logistics. She is the co-founder of Maternia, an organization led entirely by women aiming to reduce the rate of stillbirths through an innovative low-tech, low-cost medical device. She possesses valuable experience through working in refugee camps, conducting research, and managing distribution channels. At present, she is actively engaging with Maternia's beneficiaries on-site, fostering stronger connections to better understand and address their needs.
LoA spoke to the mission driven Zainab Dakik about her determination to address access to quality healthcare for pregnant women to reduce stillbirths.
What does your company do?
Each stillbirth is of fundamental concern within a woman’s pregnancy. They occur even more frequently when access to adequate health infrastructure is limited. Nearly two million babies are stillborn every year, an average of around four each minute. Maternia brings a solution to this neglected tragedy of stillbirths by producing a low-tech, low-cost, portable fetal monitoring device, which allows pregnant women in low-socioeconomic settings to monitor their fetus’ well-being from home without medical assistance. It is intended for usage in the last stage of pregnancy, from the 28th week onwards, given the serious complications that may occur and the need for closer follow-up and monitoring.
“Maternia was founded out of determination to address a women’s health problem that has been completely invisible over time, the lack of access to quality healthcare during one of the riskiest periods of women’s lives: their pregnancy.”
What inspired you to start your company?
Maternia was founded out of determination to address a women’s health problem that has been completely invisible over time, the lack of access to quality healthcare during one of the riskiest periods of women’s lives: their pregnancy. Maternia brings together three topics of greatest interest to the team: inclusive healthcare and inclusive innovation. The project's inception took place in 2021 at Vlerick Business School, where the founders met during their Master's in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Through our start up, we aim to make a tangible impact on the lives of families affected by the tragedy of stillbirths. Our ultimate goal is to improve maternal and child health outcomes by saving lives and ensuring that every woman has the opportunity to experience a healthy and safe pregnancy journey.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Maternia’s solution is unprecedented as it can be used without medical knowledge, does not require any additional materials to perform and provides remote predictions without medical infrastructures involved. Current solutions fail to reach those who need them most; they are too expensive, inaccessible, and high-tech, leaving thousands of pregnant women underserved.
Which is why Maternia is offering a solution that meets their current needs. We propose a low-tech, low-cost, portable, and very intuitive fetal monitoring device. This one is accompanied by a user-friendly interface that provides easy to interpret notifications for pregnant women in case of complications. Providing precious time for seeking medical assistance to prevent fetal tragedies.
Whilst our initial target country is Tanzania, the team is confident that our product can be equally impactful in fragile healthcare systems that are experiencing shortages of skilled clinicians and inadequate prenatal care infrastructures. The ultimate goal is to improve maternal and child health outcomes by increasing access to essential prenatal monitoring and prediction tools.
“Through our start up, we aim to make a tangible impact on the lives of families affected by the tragedy of stillbirths.”
Tell us a little about your team
The team brings together three professionals (three co-founders and two team members) that combine practical experience in low-resource settings, technical know-how and business acumen. Two of them have witnessed the problem first-hand.
Clara Maspons has two and a half years of working experience in International Organisations, where she has been involved in high-impact projects with the UN Women and the World Bank focused on innovation and societal transformation in areas hindered by structural limitations. She is responsible for implementing the organization’s mission, setting its business strategy and direction, and securing investment and external partnerships.
Natalia Villarreal possesses knowledge in data science, AI and machine learning. She is responsible for the development of the initial technology concept and design for Maternia's solution and continues spearheading the design, hardware, and software development and collaborates closely with cross-functional teams of engineers and regulatory experts to meet and exceed technical and regulatory compliance requirements.
Zainab Dakik is in the field strengthening relationships with beneficiaries and customers. She possesses in-depth knowledge of the Tanzanian market, in particular its production and distribution. She also plays a critical role as our primary point of contact with hospitals, utilizing her expertise in sales and relationship management to ensure our product meets the needs of healthcare providers.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Growing up in Tanzania, my life was deeply influenced by my entrepreneurial family background. In a land of opportunity and limited resources, we learned to make the most out of what we had. Watching those around me innovate and thrive inspired me to dream big and leave a mark on the world.
I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be an entrepreneur, to create something impactful from scratch. The desire to be my own boss and make a difference fueled my ambition from a young age. Then came the turning point – the birth of Maternia. This venture embodied everything I had wanted: a chance to combine entrepreneurship with a profound social impact.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Maternia was born with a mission - to revolutionize women's healthcare, not limited to Tanzania alone. A shocking 89% of stillbirths worldwide happen in sub-Saharan and Southwest Asian nations. While Tanzania is our initial focus, Maternia is determined to extend its impact across the entire African continent. Our first step is scaling into neighboring countries facing similar healthcare challenges and high stillbirth rates. Then, our vision stretches further, encompassing sub-Saharan Africa.
“Our ultimate goal is to improve maternal and child health outcomes by saving lives and ensuring that every woman has the opportunity to experience a healthy and safe pregnancy journey.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur, there is nothing more fulfilling than the journey of building a business from scratch. Putting in countless hours becomes rewarding when we get to see tangible results and see our vision taking shape. Moreover, the constant market research Maternia undertakes plays a crucial role in our journey.
We recognize that customer needs are always developing, and staying updated on the market is essential to ensure our solution remains relevant and in sync with their requirements. By understanding emerging trends and anticipating their future needs, we can tailor our device to address their pain points effectively. This commitment to continuous improvement not only sustains our competitive edge but also brings us Maternia’s mission of preventing stillbirths even more possible.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
As entrepreneurs, it is essential to take ownership of our decisions and avoid blaming others for any complications or failures. The path of entrepreneurship can be tough and demanding, but true success lies in holding ourselves accountable for the choices we make. Whether our venture thrives or encounters setbacks, assuming responsibility empowers us to learn from our experiences and grow as individuals and business leaders.
Contact or follow Maternia
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL zainab.dakik@materniahealth.com
Why LoA loves it….
There is nothing more inspirational than seeing women entrepreneurs driven by the need to find a solution to a problem impacting people’s lives. In the case of Zainab Dakik, she saw the devastating impact of stillbirth on the lives of pregnant women, and was motivated to find a solution. By bringing a new and innovative approach to addressing current solutions that fail to reach those who need them most because they are expensive and inaccessible, she is helping thousands of pregnant women. Inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa