Tech maternity clinic Millie has raised $12 million in Series A funding to expand its offerings and footprint, the startup announced Thursday.
San Francisco-based Millie offers miscarriage management, lactation support, mental health counseling, prenatal education, postpartum support groups and gynecological care. It has a collaborative care model that includes midwives, doulas and physicians, and care is provided virtually via its app and in physical clinics (though its care is currently limited to those in California). The company also partners with health systems and accepts both commercial health plans and Medicaid.
Millie’s Series A round was co-led by TMV and Foreground Capital and included participation from Pivotal Ventures, March of Dimes Innovation Fund, Ingeborg Investments, BBG Ventures, Joyance, LearnStart, Amboy Street Ventures, Mother Ventures, Coyote Ventures and Chai Ventures.
“We believe Millie has built the ideal model to drive better outcomes: midwifery-led, powered by both clinician and patient-facing technology, in partnership with health systems and payers. Not only is this transformative for maternal health but there is a huge upside potential as Millie builds a longitudinal relationship beyond the maternity episode,” said Emma Silverman, partner at TMV, in a statement.
The financing will help Millie open more locations and partner with more health systems in California (though it plans to expand outside of California in the future). The company is also expanding offerings to support the broader reproductive health journey, such as fertility assessments, said Anu Sharma, founder and CEO of Millie.
“We focus on maternity care, and yes, that’s what we do really well and want to be famous for,” she said in an interview. “But we view ourselves really, I would say, as a women’s health company for the reproductive years.”
Sharma started the company due to her own challenges within the maternal healthcare system. Shortly after returning home following the birth of her daughter, Sharma had to diagnose herself with postpartum preeclampsia.
“I put myself in an Uber, leaving my daughter at home with my husband, went back to the emergency room and presented on the verge of a stroke and quite literally, ended up saving my own life,” she said. “It was just one of those mind-blowing moments. Here I am, somebody who’s pretty healthcare literate, well-resourced, getting care in one of the best hospitals in the country, not lacking insurance. I even had a doula. Still, I almost died.”
Sharma isn’t the only one who has struggled with the broken system. More than 35% of counties are maternity care deserts, according to March of Dimes. The U.S. has a higher rate of maternal deaths than any other high-income country. Several other startups have emerged to address this issue as well, including Pomelo Care and Mae.
Ultimately, Sharma said she aims to “have more people feel well supported as they make this journey.”
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