There are many ways to feed babies. Parents can also feel less supported when they try to navigate this new stage in their lives.
SimpliFed is a Ithaca-based company that offers virtual lactation and baby feeding support. The startup announced Friday it had raised $500,000 in preseed funding from Third Culture Capital.
SimpliFed's CEO Andrea Ippolito is a biomedical engineer who was also a mother to two young children. After having her first child, she struggled to breastfeed and realized that there was help available. She set out to find a way for everyone to have access to information and support in infant feeding.
TechCrunch is told that post discharge is the point when we reach our goal. This is a major problem for Medicaid. It is not about expanding access but also providing ongoing support for breastfeeding and the mess that is insurance. No matter what method they use to feed their babies, we want to help them achieve their infant feeding goals.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, mothers should nurse for at least six months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 60% of mothers don't breastfeed for as much time as they want. This could be due to difficulties lactating, baby latching, sickness, or a supportive work environment.
SimpliFeds is an independent platform that provides evidence-based information about nutrition for babies. Ippolito stated that the SimpliFeds platform is not meant to replace traditional care that mothers and babies receive during pregnancy and post-partum, but it can be used to support parents when they have questions. For $100, parents can book a complimentary 15-minute consultation with a lactation expert. Then, they will receive 60-minute sessions. For those who want to continue care, there is also an option for future membership.
Ippolito stated that the new funds will be used for additional employees to develop the company's telelactation platform. To co-design the program with 1,000 mothers, the platform is preparing to undergo a clinical study. She is also keen to establish relationships with payers and other providers in order to achieve the longer-term goal, which is becoming in-network and being reimbursed by health plans.
Julien Pham is the managing partner of Third Culture Capital. He met Ippolito a decade ago at MIT Hacking Medicine. He is a trained physician and saw firsthand the huge opportunity to simplify providing the best nutrition for babies.
Over the years, the U.S. culture evolved and millennial moms have a new ask. SimpliFed is available at the right moment, Pham stated. Andrea is a true dynamo. We love Andrea's energy and her ability to be there as a mother. She is the best qualified person to do this. We support her.
