MAAREE, In Conversation with Mari - Founder

Mari Thomas-Welland, founder of MAAREE, is revolutionising the sports bra industry with her innovative designs, bringing much-needed solutions to women athletes. Her journey started with a deep love for sports and a passion for creating better products that cater to women’s unique needs. Today, Mari’s brand stands out as the only one in the world producing sports bras with an integrated over-band to stop upward breast movement—a game-changer for high-impact sports.

We’re proud to support Mari through our fundraising platform and to feature her as part of our Female Founder Friday campaign. Her story is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs, especially women looking to make their mark in business.

As FounderCatalyst’s Head of Marketing, I sat down with Mari, we discussed her journey, challenges, and future plans.

FC: Can you summarise your business journey and background for us?

MTW: "Absolutely! I’ve always been passionate about sports—from hockey to CrossFit and running. This passion naturally led me to pursue Sports Engineering at Loughborough University, where I got hands-on experience testing sports bras. That’s when I discovered a major issue: many big brands don’t adequately design or test sports bras for proper support. Even working in this field, I couldn’t find a sports bra that really worked for me.

That’s when I took a leap. I adapted a belt to fit my body and attached it to a sports bra I already owned. The difference was incredible, even without all the high-tech equipment.

That’s when I knew I had something special. Now, our brand is the only one producing sports bras with an integrated over-band to minimise upward breast movement. We’ve won several 'Best in Test' awards, and our bras consistently outperform big names like Nike and Lululemon in lab tests."

FC: That’s so innovative. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting the business?

MTW:"The biggest challenge was definitely securing funding, especially as a product-based company. We needed a large amount of capital right at the start because, with sports bras, you need to produce a wide range of sizes to do it right. We launched with 20 sizes, which was unheard of at the time! Fortunately, we found a supplier who supported us with low minimum order quantities, but we still had to bootstrap everything from the start, using savings and a few small grants. 

Now, we’re in our first proper round of fundraising, but those early days were tough—especially trying to explain to male investors how much of a game-changer our product is for women."

FC: As a female founder, did you face any particular barriers that you felt were related to your gender?

MTW: "Unfortunately, yes. When you’re trying to raise funds, most of the time you’re speaking to men, and they might not fully grasp how important something like a sports bra is to women. It can be tough to get across how much of a difference a well-designed product can make and how big the market is. It sometimes feels like a missed opportunity when potential investors don’t see the value simply because they don’t understand the problem firsthand."

FC: I can see how that could be considerably frustrating. Nevertheless, Mari, what has been your proudest professional achievement so far?

MTW: "Definitely winning our first 'Best in Test' award. At that time, we were still a small, relatively unknown brand.

So to beat out major companies like Nike and Lululemon in lab tests was a huge win for us.

It was validation that all our hard work and innovation had paid off, and it gave us a massive confidence boost."

FC: What has been the best part of working with FounderCatalyst during your fundraising process

MTW: "FounderCatalyst has been amazing. As first-time founders, we had a lot of questions, and they never made us feel silly for asking them. The support from Sam and the team has been incredible—they’ve gone out of their way to connect us with relevant contacts and provide opportunities. Plus, the WhatsApp group for founders has been a fantastic resource. It’s great knowing there’s a community of people who are all on the same journey."

FC: Have there been any unexpected sources of inspiration in your entrepreneurial journey?

MTW: "Surprisingly, yes. At one point, I was really struggling with a key design problem and almost gave up on the idea altogether. It was my mum who gave me the nudge I needed to keep going. We had a conversation, and that helped me look at the problem with fresh eyes. After that, everything clicked, and I was able to move forward. Sometimes, all it takes is a little encouragement from someone who believes in you."

FC: Are there any exciting partnerships or products you’re currently working on that you’d like to share?

MTW: "We’ve already established some amazing partnerships over the past year.

We work closely with the Welsh Rugby Union and Cambridge University Rowing Club, and we’re the official sports bra suppliers for the Women’s Volleyball Super League in England.

We’ve also partnered with Como FC, our first international deal, where we supply their sports bras alongside Nike, who handles the rest of their kit. We’re hoping to build more partnerships like these to continue supporting women’s sports."

FC: That’s impressive! What advice would you give to younger female founders who might be reading this?

MTW:"I think resilience is key. There will be moments where you feel like you’re not progressing or where you hit roadblocks that seem insurmountable. But you have to keep going.

There’s a growing focus on women’s businesses and products, and I believe there are more opportunities than ever—so stay the course and fight for what you believe in."

FC: Anything else you’d like to mention before we wrap up?

MTW: "Yes! We’re currently fundraising and have raised over half of our £400,000 goal. We’re looking for investors, especially women who are passionate about supporting female athletes, but male allies are also welcome! This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in something that’s making a real difference in women’s sports."

Thanks to Mari for contributing to Female Founders Friday and we'll be on hand to guide her if needs be throughout her fundraising process.

The MAAREE website is here if you'd like to learn more about it. And the LinkedIn page is here.

Click this link to let us guide you

Author:Gideon Stott, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst