BREASTFEEDING APP SECURES £1M FUNDING

on Oscar and BAFTA award-winning visual effects for Hollywood blockbusters, Gravity and Blade Runner 2049.

Driven by her own difficulties with breastfeeding, she collaborated with film industry colleagues and infant feeding, maternal health and AI experts to develop the technology behind LatchAid.

“I was determined to breastfeed my child,” says Chen, “but nobody told me how difficult and painful it could be.

Gloucestershire Femtech start-up LatchAid has raised £1 million to grow its breastfeeding and early parenthood support app, teaching new mums practical skills and helping them fight loneliness, postnatal depression and physical pain.

LatchAid uses interactive technology and

3D avatars to help expectant and new mothers learn breastfeeding skills. The app also connects mothers to support groups, experts who can provide 1-2-1 advice and an AI-powered virtual supporter chatbot.

LatchAid was founded by CGI specialist, Dr Chen Mao Davies, who previously worked

“I developed mastitis and thrush and it went on for weeks with mum and baby crying during feeding time. I just felt such a failure – I couldn’t feed my own baby.

“As a technologist, I was frankly shocked by the lack of innovation in this space.”

Netomnia, the Tewkesbury-based provider of full fibre broadband infrastructure, and its sister company, the internet service provider YouFibre, have secured £295 million in new funding led by DigitalBridge Investment Management.

The company says it is the fastest-growing network operator specialising in connecting homes and businesses to ultrafast full fibre broadband.

Founded by its Chief Executive Jeremy Chelot, an internet entrepreneur and computer scientist, Netomnia is delivering a multi-gigabit broadband network across the UK.

Jeremy was previously Chief Executive of Community Fibre Ltd. He led the “Fibre To The Home” revolution in London, raising £100 million from two financial institutions.

He was also a non-executive director at the Internet Services Providers’ Association –the UK’s Trade Association for providers of Internet services.