In this episode, I am joined by Sarah Stock, Professor and Consultant in Maternal and Fetal Health, and one of the leading global voices in stillbirth and preterm birth research. Sarah’s work spans laboratory science, clinical trials, and large-scale international data-driven research focused on improving outcomes for mothers and babies worldwide.

Sarah earned her MD from Manchester University Medical School and her PhD in Reproductive Biology from the University of Edinburgh, later completing specialist and subspecialist Maternal and Fetal Medicine training across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Australia.

Sarah currently serves as Program Director at Wellcome Leap, where she leads the $50M In Utero program an ambitious initiative aiming to reduce stillbirth rates by 50% by building scalable technologies that can measure, monitor, and predict fetal development in real time.

Stillbirth affects more than 2 million families every year roughly one baby every 16 seconds yet it remains one of the most overlooked global health challenges.

In this conversation, we explore why pregnancy care has remained largely unchanged for decades, how emerging technologies could transform maternal and fetal care, and where founders and innovators can create meaningful impact.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Sarah’s journey into maternal–fetal medicine and stillbirth research
• Why stillbirth continues to be a neglected global health crisis
• The vision behind Wellcome Leap’s In Utero program
• How the ARPA-style innovation model differs from traditional research funding
• Technologies needed to measure placental, maternal, and fetal health at scale
• Wearables, AI, biomarkers, and the future of pregnancy monitoring
• Challenges founders face in women’s health and maternal care
• How Wellcome Leap supports breakthrough innovation beyond funding alone
• The biggest market opportunities in women’s health over the next 3–5 years
• What success looks like for the future of maternal healthcare
• How founders and researchers can engage with the ecosystem

If you're a founder, investor, researcher, healthcare leader, or someone passionate about women’s health innovation, this episode offers an inside look at one of the biggest opportunities to reshape the future of healthcare.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with FemTech India a global women’s health ecosystem building and scaling startups to close the gender gap in emerging markets like India.

Disclaimer: The content shared in this episode is intended for general awareness and discussion purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal health decisions.

Newsletter - https://techthrivenewsletter.beehiiv.com/

Sarah Stock - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-stock-92605449/

Wellcome Leap $50M Utero program - https://wellcomeleap.org/inutero/

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