Pomelo Care Raises Another $25M to Make Maternal and Neonatal Care More Accessible While Improving Outcomes – AlleyWatch

Around 140 million births take place each year worldwide. Every day, 810 women die from pregnancy-related preventable causes. Ensuring consistent access to maternal and neonatal health throughout the continuation of pregnancy from preconception to postpartum is critical for improving outcomes. pomelo care is a comprehensive virtual health platform that provides value-based care for pregnant women 24/7, from nutrition to mental health issues. Multidisciplinary clinicians provide care not only for mothers, but also for infants when their newborns are born, and provide care as opposed to patients navigating disparate health care systems through a variety of providers. centralize Although deaths from pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum complications have decreased by up to 40% over the past 20 years, there are still widespread inequalities across different demographics and socioeconomic profiles that the platform has the potential to remedy. there is. At a time when healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, Pomelo Care is committed to helping millions of people access quality care, reducing costs and improving outcomes by leading academic medical centers, medical We have partnered with insurance plans, health care plans and employers. The platform serves patients in her 44 states, and she plans to provide access to more than 2 million patients this year alone.

alley watch We spoke with the founder and CEO of Pomelo Care Martha Bralick Kearns To learn more about the business, the company’s strategic plans, the company’s latest funding round bringing the company’s total funding to $33 million, and more…

Who are the investors and how much did you raise?

We raised $25 million in Series A funding this year following an $8 million seed round in 2021. Andreessen Horowitz Leads both funding rounds, with additional investors Includes first round capital (co-leader of the seed round), SV Angel, Operator Partners, Allen & Company LLC, BoxGroup. They include angel investors and leaders in the healthcare industry. Adam BoehlerManaging Partner of Rubicon Founders, former Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), former Chief Growth Officer of Landmark Health and Elevance’s Diversified Business Group, Founder Puneet Singh.

What products or services does Pomelo Care offer?

Pomelo Care is a virtual multidisciplinary practice that uses a value-based model of care to address underlying risk factors and improve maternal and neonatal health. We offer our patients 24/7 virtual care of her from pre-pregnancy until the baby is her 1 year old.

What made you start Pomelocare?

I am a mother of two children. When I gave birth to my daughter, Mia, and son, Luca, I went through the scare of pre-eclampsia, emergency room visits, and the birth of a large gestational age baby. Even though I only had a few minutes a month to meet with my OB/GYN, I faced these challenges with more questions than answers. Millions of other women face similar and more difficult challenges.

The impact of the maternal health crisis in the United States need not be looked far, but pregnancy complications are on the rise, with 1 in 10 newborns starting life in the NICU, and cesarean section births in the last 20 years. 41% increase. Maternal mortality in the United States is more than three times higher than most other high-income countries, and BIPOC women are two to three times more likely to die from these complications than white women. We launched Pomelo to make it easier to access evidence-based care proven to improve these outcomes. Our mission is to help families achieve healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.

How is Pomelocea different?

Pomelo’s multidisciplinary team of expert clinicians cares for mothers and infants from preconception through pregnancy, birth and the first year of the postpartum period. Our team of obstetrics and gynecology, primary care, and pediatric clinicians, mental health therapists, social workers, nutritionists, lactation consultants, and other specialists cover everything from prenatal care to nutrition, breastfeeding, and mental health. , providing comprehensive care to patients.

We combine each patient with a personalized care team to deliver a value-based virtual care model that holistically addresses the root causes of maternal health inequalities and poor outcomes. It also uses data to predict and proactively identify risks, deliver holistic care leveraging evidence-based protocols and new care programs, and deliver 24/7 care via phone, text and video. allow access.

What markets is Pomelo Care targeting and how big is it?

The United States spends $111 billion annually on maternal health care. We partner with national payers, some of the nation’s largest Medicaid-managed care organizations, employers, and leading academic medical centers on the front lines of the maternal health crisis.

What is your business model?

Through direct partnerships with payers, employers and healthcare providers, the company provides services to its members, employees and patients at no additional cost to Pomelo patients.

How are you preparing for a potential economic slowdown?

We are carefully investing in teams across our clinical, business and technology divisions to deliver the growth we have planned for this year.

What was the fundraising process like?

As I mentioned earlier, we are pleased to have completed our Series A with seed and angel participation this year.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while fundraising?

We’ve found that what we’ve been building and how we’ve partnered with payers, employers and healthcare systems resonates with existing investors who are excited to lead the next round. .

What factors about your business made investors write checks?

Pomelo is focused on expanding value-based care that integrates with existing healthcare infrastructure (OB/GYN and health plans) to create frictionless experiences that deliver better patient outcomes and reduce avoidable costs. Offers.

What milestones do you plan to achieve in the next six months?

We plan to cover 2 million lives by the end of this year.

What advice would you give to New York companies that haven’t recapitalized their banks?

Focus clearly on the few things your business needs to prove to work and how quickly you can prove those things with the capital you already have.

Where do you see the company going in the short term?

We know that the right care at the right time can dramatically improve family outcomes. Everyone has the right to quality care regardless of their circumstances or health plan. Improving health outcomes is our North Star.

We are focused on expanding healthcare plans and partnerships with employers to reach more patients. We also invest in teams, clinical programs and technology to improve outcomes for patients at scale.

What are your favorite summer destinations in and around the city?

During the summer we hop on and off the New York City ferry to different parts of the city for fun. My children love ships.

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