Mumsnet acquires mum meet-up app Mush
World’s biggest online forum for mothers buys NHS-backed platform specialising in local friends and social connections for new mothers.
By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Apr 17, 2024
The world’s biggest online forum for mothers, Mumsnet, has made its first acquisition in the form of Mush, a social app for mums launched in 2016 by Katie Massie-Taylor and Sarah Hesz.
Focused squarely on facilitating real-life local friendships and meet-ups between mothers with babies of the same age, Mush has been active in conversations about maternal mental health and loneliness, and has worked in partnership with the NHS and with the Royal Foundation.
Mumsnet will take over the running of Mush, preserving the friendships and support already established on the platform and continuing to help new mothers to forge local connections, staving off some of the most difficult social impacts of new parenthood.
Co-founder of Mush Katie Massie-Taylor says:
We are incredibly proud of what Mush has achieved over the past six years and we are excited to see it flourish as part of the Mumsnet family. Since 2016 Mush has enabled 3 million friendships as well as supporting the government, NHS and many mental health charities to highlight the importance of community for new mums. We are thrilled that this partnership will amplify the impact of the app.
Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet says:
Mumsnet has always been about making parents' lives easier by allowing them to connect and share support, wisdom and friendship and the Mush app is bang in line with that purpose. A platform that enables real life friendship and support will be incredibly helpful to our users. We look forward to introducing Mush to the 1m+ pregnant women who visit our site each month.
About Mush
The leading UK meet-up app for new mothers, Mush was launched in 2016 and was the first tool of its kind to connect mothers around their location and child’s ages. It was created after its founders, Katie Massie-Taylor and Sarah Hesz, met at a children’s playground and found they were both looking for a friend who understood exactly what they were going through. Its mission is to reduce the number of mothers - reported to be as high as 90% - who feel lonely during their transition to motherhood and beyond, aiming to help mums feel happy, confident and connected at every stage. Mush has enabled 3 million friendships, 25,000 group meet-ups and countless conversations on a safe and closed platform where women can be ‘unashamedly mum’. It is backed by the NHS and the Royal Foundation, and is free to download here.
About Mumsnet
Mumsnet is the world's biggest online forum for mothers, with around 8 million* unique visitors per month clocking up over 100 million monthly page views. It campaigns on issues including support for families of children with special educational needs, improvements in postnatal and miscarriage care, and employment rights for working parents. *Source: Google Analytics