Maternity and technology: Get to know the most lucrative and successful startups

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As more women interested in technology become mothers, the offer of products and services on digital platforms is growing

With the advancement of technology, people's lifestyle has been changing. The development of different apps that respond to a variety of needs today facilitates various aspects of the users' lives. That is the case of exclusive apps to help women in motherhood. For years, the variety of products and services for new mothers seemed insufficient, but now as more young people with digital knowledge have entered the world of parenthood, innovators and investors have finally begun to turn their attention to this market that just some years ago was overlooked.

Leer en español: Maternidad y tecnología: Conozca los startups más lucrativos y exitosos.

Vanessa Larco, a partner in venture capital company New Enterprise Associates (NEA), is a first-time mom who understands the important role technology can play in the life of a new mother. When she had her son, Larco discovered that even mothers who seem to have "everything" (that is, those who have a stable job, a lucrative career and help from her husband), need more support to be able to fulfill all their functions. "Women are opting to go back to work, they want both lives, and we can finance companies that are dedicated to this to make it easier for women, it's a great opportunity," says Larco.

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Larco, who normally invests in software for companies and in financial technology, began to explore digital health companies that have begun to focus on early motherhood, from preconception to the first three months of a baby's life.

According to Forbes, the market for new mothers has an estimated size of $ 46 billion, with a purchasing power figure of $ 2.4 billion that will grow as more millennial women become mothers. "This is a massive market opportunity that has been overlooked by the venture capital community," says Annu Duggal, a member of the Female Founders Fund that has invested in six women-led companies that focus on the market for new moms "Capturing the mother the moment she forms a family is incredibly powerful," says Duggal.

The number of startups in this market has grown and increasingly covers more aspects of motherhood. The wireless breast pumps and delivery of organic baby food was just the beginning of a market that has expanded to digital well-being, community applications and more.

Among the growing list of start-ups for new parents are:

Peanut, an app that has been called "Tinder for Mothers" and was founded by Michelle Kennedy in order to create an exclusive social network for mothers where they could meet and share their experiences. The application was launched in 2017 and already has 650,000 users.

Primary, a clothing brand founded in 2015 by co-founders and executive co-directors Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard. Today, it has $ 27.8 million in funds and stands out for focusing on simplicity and inclusiveness. "On our site, customers buy for babies and kids, instead of buying for boys and girls," Bernard said. "We are not prescriptive about what styles and colors are appropriate for each person". 

Glow Baby, an app created by the personal health startup Glow that is designed to track each stage of the baby. Parents can control the baby's feeding schedule, body temperature, how often the baby needs a diaper change, sleep cycles, among other activities.

Little Spoon is a home delivery service that offers organic baby options. Parents order food through the website where there are around 50 different recipes that are arranged to meet the nutritional needs at each stage.

Owlet, a monitoring service that allows you to control your baby's oxygen levels and heart rate. The system works with a sock that is put to the baby and that connects the parents' phone by means of an application

LatinAmerican Post | María Fernanda Barinas

Translated from "Maternidad y tecnología: Conozca los startups más lucrativos y exitosos"