27 October 2026
Midwife-made pregnancy drink from Beaconsfield wins national award
ISOMUM beat more than 2,000 businesses from across the UK to be named Consumer Products StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards
Key facts
- Who
- ISOMUM, the pregnancy electrolyte brand founded by midwife Darcey Croft, based in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
- What
- Consumer Products StartUp of the Year, UK StartUp Awards 2026 national final, from more than 2,000 applicants from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- When
- 10 September 2026
- Where
- Ideas Fest, Champneys Tring, Hertfordshire
- Judges' verdict
- recognised as the UK's first pregnancy-safe electrolyte drink, with strong early sales growth (full verdict below)
- Available
- isomum.com
- Interviews
- Darcey Croft is available for interview
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. ISOMUM, the pregnancy-grade electrolyte brand founded by midwife and Advanced Clinical Practitioner Darcey Croft, has won Consumer Products StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards 2026 national final, held on 10 September 2026 at Ideas Fest, Champneys Tring, Hertfordshire.
More than 2,000 businesses applied to this year's awards, across 22 categories in ten UK nations and regions. Only the regional category winners went through to the national final. ISOMUM won the South East title in its category, its second regional win, then beat the winners from every other region of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take the UK title.
ISOMUM was created to fill a gap Darcey saw repeatedly in clinical practice. Dehydration is common in pregnancy, particularly with nausea and vomiting, yet most electrolyte drinks on the shelf are formulated for athletes and contain ingredients many pregnant women are advised to avoid or are unsure about. ISOMUM is designed to work alongside prenatal vitamins, so women can drink it knowing it was made for them.
ISOMUM's second flavour, raspberry lemonade, goes on sale at the end of November.
“For years the only thing on offer was a sports drink built on research into male athletes. Labour is one of the most physically demanding things a woman's body will ever do, and nobody had designed anything for it. So I did. This award puts women, and the products created for them, on a national stage. It brings a much-needed focus to women's health.”
“ISOMUM was recognised for creating the UK's first pregnancy-safe electrolyte drink, designed specifically around the physiological demands of pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding. The judges were impressed by its midwife-led insight, clinical foundations, strong early sales growth and ambition to raise standards in women's reproductive health.”
“Winning a UK StartUp Award is a significant achievement, and I hope this recognition gives them an even stronger platform from which to grow. We are incredibly proud to celebrate their success and look forward to seeing what they achieve next.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
About ISOMUM
ISOMUM makes electrolyte hydration formulated for pregnancy, breastfeeding and new motherhood. Founded by a practising midwife, it was the UK's first pregnancy-grade electrolyte brand and holds a UK registered trade mark. isomum.com · Instagram @isomums · linkedin.com/company/isomum
About Darcey Croft
Darcey Croft is a Registered Midwife, Advanced Clinical Practitioner and Independent Prescriber, with an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice and a specialism in perinatal mental health. She has attended thousands of births, sits on a NICE Expert Panel, and was a national finalist for Best UK Midwife in The Sun's Who Cares Wins Awards. Alongside ISOMUM she founded Mothermind, a maternal mindset and workplace support platform, and runs a private clinical practice in Buckinghamshire.
About the UK StartUp Awards
The UK StartUp Awards, from the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, recognise new businesses across ten UK nations and regions. Regional category winners compete at a national final for the UK title in their category. Full list of 2026 national winners: https://startupawards.uk/national-winners-2026
Images
Darcey Croft with the UK StartUp Awards National Winner 2026 trophy
Credit: Alex Toft Photography
Download imageDarcey Croft accepting Consumer Products StartUp of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards 2026 national final
Credit: UK StartUp Awards
Download image (high resolution, 20 MB)ISOMUM logo
Credit: No credit required
Download image
More images and logos: open the full media kit
Media contact
Darcey Croft, founder