Materna Medical

Founded in 2010 by Mark Juravic and Michael Stewart, Materna Medical is a medical device company focused on advancing women's pelvic health. The company's development efforts originated from research at Stanford University's Biodesign program. Spearheading the company's commercial strategy is CEO and President Tracy MacNeal, who joined in 2019. MacNeal brings over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical, digital health, and medical device sectors, holding a BE in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from Duke University. Her career was inspired at a young age by a female civil engineer, which set her on a path through engineering and into healthcare leadership.

Materna Medical operates within the OBGYN MedTech space, a market it estimates to be valued at approximately $25 billion, by developing technologies to address unmet needs in women's pelvic healthcare. The company's business model involves the development and commercialization of medical devices sold directly to consumers and through healthcare professionals. To date, Materna has raised $57.7 million in funding over nine rounds, with the latest being a Series B2 round in May 2024 for $20 million, led by InnovaHealth Partners.

The company has two primary products. The first, Milli™, is an all-in-one, patient-controlled vaginal dilator designed to address conditions like vaginismus and painful sex. Launched as a wellness device in 2019, Milli gained FDA clearance for over-the-counter sales in 2023, enhancing accessibility for patients. The device is unique in its ability to expand incrementally by millimeters and includes a vibration feature. The second product, the Ellora™ System (formerly Materna Prep), is an investigational device aimed at reducing pelvic floor muscle injuries during vaginal childbirth. This system is designed to prepare the pelvic floor muscles through slow, incremental stretching during labor. It is currently undergoing a large randomized controlled trial, the EASE trial, across 20 U.S. hospitals, with plans for an FDA De Novo submission.

Keywords: women's pelvic health, OBGYN platform, medical devices, vaginismus treatment, painful sex solutions, Milli vaginal dilator, labor and delivery technology, pelvic floor injury prevention, Ellora System, MedTech, FemTech, Stanford Biodesign, Tracy MacNeal, Mark Juravic, Michael Stewart, InnovaHealth Partners, Series B, FDA clearance, over-the-counter medical device, childbirth safety