Founder Merlin Seeman emphasised the importance of supporting not only the medical aspects of cancer but also the wellbeing and confidence of survivors.

“Breast reconstruction, while providing relief, often brings new daily challenges, and women who have overcome serious illness may face breast asymmetry, significantly impacting their confidence and quality of life. Therefore, our aim is to offer a bra that allows women to feel feminine and comfortable in every situation, every day,” said Seeman.

The Signature bra, developed through extensive research and prototyping, is designed for everyday wear by women who have had a lumpectomy or mastectomy, with reconstructed breasts, and even accommodates those with some natural breast tissue remaining.

Symmetrista’s innovative design process involves custom molds that cater to the unique anatomy and size variations of women’s breasts. Collaborating with a German manufacturer, Symmetrista has developed technology allowing the bra to accommodate significant size differences between the left and right cups, with variations ranging from 2 to 7 sizes. Despite these differences, the bra ensures a visually balanced appearance, offering comfort and confidence to women post-reconstruction.

Breast asymmetry can also be congenital or arise due to hormonal changes or breastfeeding. Symmetrista bras were born out of a personal need to create a bra for women whose breasts are different sizes. “Symmetrista bras are asymmetrically designed for asymmetric bodies, and this journey has taken me over 15 years. I am sincerely happy and grateful for the result, and I am very pleased to share the fruits of many years of work with other women who need this for various reasons in their lives,” Seeman shared from personal experience.

Breast asymmetry is a common characteristic – a survey conducted in the United Kingdom by research firm Norstat found that of the 740 women aged 18 to 83 who were questioned, 25%, or 188 women, reported breast asymmetry. This means there are potentially 2.3 million women in the UK alone who could benefit from the bra created by the Estonian startup.

Symmetrista has raised €120,000 from investors to develop and produce the Signature bra and is preparing for future fundraising rounds to expand its product range and enter new markets. The company’s business is focused on international markets, with current focus on the US, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and also Estonia. Symmetrista bras are available for purchase via the company’s online store.

Merlin Seeman is a managing partner at Hedman Law Firm and a sworn advocate specialising in advising technology companies. She is also one of the founders of the coding school kood/Jõhvi, a board member of the Estonian Service Industry Association, and the vice-chair of the European region of the International Bar Association. Seeman is also a co-founder of the Estonian startup GDPR Register.

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