Feeding infants can take many various varieties, and can be an space the place mother and father can really feel much less supported as they navigate this new milestone of their lives.
Enter SimpliFed, an Ithaca, New York-based firm offering digital lactation and a child feeding assist platform. The startup introduced Friday that it raised $500,000 in pre-seed funding led by Third Tradition Capital.
Andrea Ippolito, founder and CEO of SimpliFed. Picture Credit: SimpliFed
CEO Andrea Ippolito, a biomedical engineer and mom of two younger kids, had the concept for SimpliFed three years in the past. She struggled with breastfeeding after having her first little one and, realizing that she was not alone on this space, set out to determine a technique to get anybody entry to info and assist for toddler feeding.
“Publish discharge is when the rubber meets the aim for us,” she instructed TechCrunch. “It is a enormous ache level for Medicaid, and it isn’t nearly growing entry, however offering ongoing assist for feeding and the quagmire that’s medical health insurance. We wish to assist mothers attain their toddler feeding objectives, regardless of how they select to feed, and to determine what feeding appears like for them.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers nurse for up to six months. Nonetheless, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention estimates that 60% of mothers don’t breastfeed for as long as they intend because of causes like problem lactating or the infant latching, illness or an unsupportive work atmosphere.
SimpliFed’s platform is a judgement-free zone offering evidence-based info on dietary well being for infants. It isn’t meant to interchange typical care that mom and child will obtain earlier than and after supply, however to offer assist when points come up, Ippolito mentioned. Mother and father can e-book a free, preliminary 15-minute digital session with a lactation professional after which subsequent 60-minute classes for $100 every. There may be additionally a future membership choice for these looking for persevering with care.
The brand new funds will likely be used to rent further staff to additional develop the telelactation platform and develop the corporate’s footprint, Ippolito mentioned. The platform is gearing as much as undergo a medical research to co-design this system with 1,000 moms. She additionally desires to construct out relationships with payers and suppliers towards a longer-term aim of turning into in-network and paid by reimbursement from well being plans.
Julien Pham, managing associate at Third Tradition Capital, mentioned he met Ippolito at MIT Hacking Medication a decade in the past. A doctor by coaching, he noticed first-hand how massive of a possibility it’s to demystify offering the very best vitamin for infants.
“The U.S. tradition has advanced through the years, and millennials are the next-generation mothers who’ve a unique ask, and SimpliFed is right here on the proper time,” Pham mentioned. “Andrea is only a dynamo. We love her vitality and the way she is on the entrance line of this as a mom herself — she is most certified to do that, and we assist her.
