Women’s health startup DecipHER women has secured new pre-seed investment from Graduate Ventures to accelerate the development of its AI-driven platform for the early detection and prevention of peripartum and postpartum depression. The investment marks an important milestone in the company’s mission to transform maternal mental healthcare through earlier intervention and more personalised care.
Peripartum and postpartum depression affects an estimated 10–20% of mothers worldwide, yet care pathways remain largely reactive, with intervention often occurring only after symptoms become severe. With approximately 130 million births globally each year, the need for earlier, more precise detection has become increasingly urgent.
DecipHER is addressing this challenge by developing a diagnostic platform designed to identify women at risk before symptoms escalate into crisis. By enabling healthcare providers to intervene earlier, the company aims to improve outcomes for mothers while reducing long-term healthcare burdens.
At the core of DecipHER’s innovation is a proprietary AI platform that combines questionnaire data with biological markers obtained from blood samples collected during pregnancy and postpartum. The technology analyses hormones, immune markers, metabolites, and genetic information over time to identify biological signatures associated with depression risk. These insights are then translated into actionable recommendations to support personalised care.
The company was founded by Amy FitzPatrick, a biologist with more than 30 years of healthcare experience and expertise spanning neuroscience, immunology, endocrinology, and systems biology. She is joined by Carolyn Keating, alongside a multidisciplinary network of researchers and advisors specialising in reproductive mental health, clinical research, and AI including researchers and advisors from Erasmus MC, Amsterdam UMC, OLVG, and the University of Iowa.
