WoW Woman in FemTech I Anastasia Shubareva-Epshtein , founder and CEO of Carea

Anastasia Shubareva-Epshtein is the Founder and CEO of Carea, a femtech startup putting women back at the centre of pregnancy and postpartum care.

Unlike most apps that focus only on the baby, Carea prioritises the mother’s emotional wellbeing, offering mindful, trigger-free tools for every stage of her journey. Inspired by her own experiences with fertility struggles, IVF, and pregnancy loss, Anastasia set out to create the safe, supportive space she wished had existed for herself and countless others.

After earning her Master’s degree from Columbia University, Anastasia built a global career in product management and brand marketing, holding leadership roles at companies like Bayer Consumer Health and Mastercard. Her expertise spans digital strategy, innovation, and consumer health- all of which inform her founder journey.

Tell us a bit about your background

I always knew I wanted to start my own business, but for a long time I didn’t know what it should be. I took a traditional corporate path after completing my master’s degree and worked in brand and product management at global companies like Bayer Consumer Health and Mastercard.

At Bayer, I was first introduced to the world of women’s health and became inspired by the idea of helping women take control of their wellbeing. It wasn’t until I began my own trying-to-conceive journey, sadly experiencing pregnancy loss, IVF, and severe pregnancy anxiety, that I realised how urgently we need better care for expecting women and new mothers.

That’s when I decided to take the plunge. I left my stable corporate job to start Carea, and I’ve never looked back.

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?

As a non-technical founder, entering the femtech space came with a steep learning curve. My background in marketing and brand strategy helped shape the business vision, but I had no idea where to begin when it came to building an app.

I quickly realised that what mattered most was focusing on my strengths and bringing together a team of experts who could complement them. Taking the first step is always the hardest, especially in tech where imposter syndrome can feel very real. But if you’re truly obsessed with the problem you’re solving, and willing to outsource what isn’t in your own expertise, the challenges become much easier to navigate.

How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?

The idea for Carea came during the first trimester of my pregnancy. My baby just turned one this May and Carea launched in April, so everything happened at the same time. It was intense, but I wouldn’t change it, because building something I love has also made me a better mum.

One of the biggest challenges has been standing out in an extremely crowded app space. Thousands of new apps launch every day, and in pregnancy and postpartum care there are already very established players with much bigger budgets.

That also creates a huge opportunity, because as a young startup we can be scrappy, creative and focused on delivering a new level of truly personalised care to the women who use our app.

What are your biggest achievements to date? 

Our newly-launched Mum Tracker is one of our proudest achievements. The idea came directly from research. After speaking to hundreds of women, we kept hearing the same frustration that the focus is always on the baby, but who takes care of the mum in those early postpartum weeks?

This is exactly where we want to make a difference. While nothing replaces in-person midwife or obstetrician support, we believe Carea can help women refocus on their own wellbeing and remind them that caring for themselves is just as important as caring for their newborns.

Postpartum is a wild ride, and it’s unrealistic to expect women to “just get on with it” while putting their own recovery aside. We want to change that narrative and empower women with tools that support both their physical and, especially, mental wellbeing.

What are the projects you are currently working on?

We have several exciting features in the pipeline. By the end of the year, we’ll be releasing a ‘Trying to Conceive: IVF’ mode, after many women told us they wanted access to our IVF medication tracker even before pregnancy. This will allow us to support women much earlier in their journey.

Another project I’m incredibly excited about is our pilot collaboration with The Motherhood Practice, giving users access to an expert midwife via chat plus a complimentary 30-minute consultation. This launches in December, a time when many healthcare professionals are less accessible, so we can stay true to our mission of providing personalised care when it matters most.

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?

The #WomenInTech movement is hugely important to me and to Carea. It’s time products are designed and built for women, by women. While I’m grateful to the femtech founders who paved the way, it’s disappointing that many major apps in our space were created by men.

Men can absolutely be powerful allies in femtech, but as a female founder solving a deeply female problem, I know we bring a unique perspective. There is nothing that compares to having lived the challenges you’re trying to solve. It turns your company’s mission into something deeply personal.

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

AI will undoubtedly play a major role, but equally important is how we collect, use and protect data. To build meaningful and safe products, we need datasets that are inclusive and truly representative of women’s lived experiences.

Too many apps still overlook key parts of the menstrual cycle, the huge physiological shifts in pregnancy and postpartum, and the impact of pregnancy loss, which affects one in three pregnancies. I’ll never forget how an app kept asking me if my period had started shortly after a miscarriage, without offering any way to reflect my actual experience.

We have to do better. The future lies in personalised care, not averages, and tools that adapt to each woman’s unique circumstances.

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?

Just start. There’s no special qualification you need beyond a real problem you’re committed to solving, you just need solid research and the willingness to work hard.

You also need to accept that building a company is a marathon. Overnight successes are rare; most meaningful businesses take years to grow. Preparing yourself for that reality makes the journey much more sustainable.

And lastly, try not to get too attached to your product. As Waze co-founder Uri Levine said, “fall in love with the problem, not the solution”. If you stay agile and keep adapting, there’s nothing stopping you from succeeding. You just need to trust yourself and your team.

Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?

There are so many inspiring women in the industry building incredible companies. I admire Dr Helen O’Neill, founder and CEO of Hertility, for empowering women to understand their hormonal health from home. I’m also in awe of Dr Sioned Jones, founder of Booby Biome, for her groundbreaking research into the milk microbiome to support healthier beginnings for babies. And lastly, Dr Lindsey Calcutt, co-founder of Incora Health, for creating a wearable designed around women’s unique cycles, not as an afterthought, but as the foundation.

Find out more about Carea on their website.

Connect with Anastasia on LinkedIn.

Download Carea on the App Store.

Get Carea on Google Play.

Follow Carea on Instagram.

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