A daily newsletter summarizing recent activity & interesting start-ups globally
RECENT NOTABLE ACTIVITY – MOM AND BABY CARE
- Epic, a CA-based digital brand for kids, raised $8M in Series C funding led by Reach Capital. Link
- Babyscripts, a virtual care women’s health platform, raised $5.7M in funding led by Ysios Capital. Link
- KidPass, a New York City-based online platform for families to discover and book kids’ activities, secured $5.1M in Series A funding led by Javelin Venture Partners. Link
- Cocoon Cam, a CA-based intelligent baby breathing video monitor, closed a $4M Series A funding led by Happiness Ventures. Link
- Lingokids, previously Monkimun, a CA-based developer of language learning services for early childhood, raised $4M in a post-seed funding round led by Holtzbrinck Ventures and JME Venture Capital. Link
- Outschool, an online marketplace which helps parents to find and book classes for their children, raised $1.4M in a seed round led by Collaborative Fund and Sesame Ventures. Link
- Hugsy, a company developing a smart blanket for neonates, raised around $220k in seed funding. Link
- Parenting startup, MyCity4Kids, raised an undisclosed amount from existing investors. Link
- Los Angeles-based Kangarootime, a cloud-based software for childcare centers, raised a seed funding round. Link
- South Africa-based health wearables startup Vitls secured a six-figure funding from three angel investors. Link
SOME INTERESTING STARTUPS FOUND
BabyLibrary (2016, NYC) – Subscription-based rental service that provides curated books for children.
LEADER BOARD – MOM AND BABY CARE
Commerce- Horizontal
Windeln (2010, Munich, IPO) Retailer of baby and toddler products in Germany, Austria, China, and Switzerland. Went IPO in May 2015.
Zulily (2009, Seattle, IPO, Acq.) Daily deal sites for mom and kids offering discounts on apparel, toys, and gears. Went IPO in 2013 and then acquired by Liberty Interactive in 2015.
Mia.com (2011, Beijing, $232M) Retailer for imported infant care products. Backed by Baidu, Zhenfund, Sequoia Capital and more.
Commerce- Essentials
Wzhouhui (2013, Shenzhen, $278M) An online retailer of imported baby and maternal products. Backed by Globalegrow E-commerce.
Honest (2011, Santa Monica, $228M) Monthly subscription service of customized eco-friendly family product bundles. Backed by Glade Brook Capital Partners, Wellington Management, Institutional Venture Partners, General Catalyst Partners and more.
Commerce- Apparel
Aden & Anais (2006, Brooklyn, $57M) Muslin products seller for babies. Backed by Swander Pace capital.
Lolly Wolly Doodle (2009, Lexington, $23M) Designs and manufactures personalized monogrammed children’s wear. Backed by First Mark capital, Revolution LLC and more. capital, Revolution LLC and more.
Commerce- Gears
4moms (2005, Pittsburgh, $91M) Innovative robotic baby products. Backed by Bain Capital Ventures, Innovation Works and more.
Commerce- Toys
Pley (2013, San Jose, $17M) Provides LEGO sets rentals for kids on a monthly subscription. Backed by Allegro Venture Partners, Gotham Ventures, and more.
Parenting- Community
Babytree (2007, Beijing, $653M) A platform where parents can share their experiences and solve parenting issues. Backed by CBC Capital, Matrix Partners and more.
Lamabang (2012, Beijing, $130M) Parenting Community and eCommerce platform for mothers. Backed by Matrix Partners, Greenwoods Asset and more.
Yaolan (1999, Beijing, $26M) Online social parenting community and education portal. Backed by Foundation Capital, Chengwei and more.
Parenting- Content
FamilyEducation (1996, Boston, $51M, Acq.) Online Content Platform for Parents. Backed by America Online, Intel Capital, and Sprout Group. Acquired by Sandbox in May 2015.
ChildCare Providers – Babysitting
Care (2006, Waltham, IPO) An online marketplace that connects families with babysitters and nannies. Went IPO in 2014.
Sittercity (2001, Chicago, $43M) A platform that connects parents with babysitters, and provides detailed profiles, background checks, references, and reviews. Backed by Baird Capital, Pritzker Group, Apex Venture partners, Point Judith Capital and more.
Urbansitter (2010, SF, $23M) Mobile app based marketplace connecting parents with babysitters through social recommendation. Backed by DBL investors, Canaan Partners, First round and more.
Healthcare
Kinsa (2012, NYC, $29M) Provider of a smart thermometer for kids that connects to a smartphone. Backed by KPCB, First Mark Capital and more.
Easyhin (2014, Shenzhen, $27M) Mobile health management services platform for mothers and babies. Backed by Morningside Ventures, SBCVC, Fosun Kinzon Capital, and more.
Owlet Baby Care (2013, Lehi, $23M) Developer of a health monitor that tracks a baby’s oxygen, heart rate, and sleeping patterns. Backed by Broadway Angels, National Institutes of Health, ff Venture Capital, and more.
Ovia Health (2011, Cambridge, $16M) Mobile app for conceiving assistance and parenting. Backed by Lightbank, Martin Ventures and more.
Education
Age of Learning (2007, LA, $150M) Gamified platform and content for kids of age 2-7. Backed by Iconiq Capital.
Neo Bear (2009, Shanghai, $56M) Developer of Augmented Reality based toys and mobile apps for children. Backed by Qualcomm, GGV Capital, Jiangsu Huaxi Group, New Horizon Capital and more.
Osmo (2013, Palo Alto, $36M) Provider of augmented reality based iPad Games for children. Backed by Accel Partners, Upfront Ventures, K9 Ventures, and more.
Leaderboard includes all the top funded, IPO and successfully running bootstrapped companies along with their location, founding year and funding amount
For latest update, visit Mom and Baby Care feed.