CUPERTINO — Lōvu Health, a digital maternal health platform ensuring care for mother and baby from conception through postpartum, has secured $8 million in Series A funding, led by SJF Ventures with participation from Rogue Women’s Fund, Symphonic Capital, Emmeline Ventures, Majella Ventures, Oakwood Circle Ventures, Sand Hill Angels, Swizzle Ventures, Terrasys, Stand Together Ventures, and Alumni Ventures. In a nation where 49% of women forgo prenatal care, postnatal care, or both because of high costs and lack of access, Lōvu Health is reinventing maternal care with a new paradigm of continuous and connected wellness before and after birth.
In the United States, there are more than 3.6 million births per year. Despite spending about $126 billion on pregnancy and postpartum care, the nation ranks 64th in maternal mortality — the worst among high income countries. Over 80% of these deaths are preventable. To address this crisis, Lōvu supports the care plan chosen by each mother’s obstetrician with access to specialty care, real-time remote patient monitoring, and a personalized care journey.
“Our current one-size-fits-all maternal care model is failing moms and babies,” said Noel Pugh, co-founder and CEO at Lōvu Health. “Every expectant mother and her baby deserve equitable access to precision care guided by innovative technology and evidence-based insights. Lōvu’s AI-powered platform transforms workflows and modernizes clinical practices, helping clinicians closely monitor patients and intervene earlier when necessary, while offering wraparound support that changes the way we bring life into this world.”
Ensuring access to crucial maternal care is even more important in the wake of cuts to Medicaid and critical social safety net programs. With Lōvu’s unique business model, mothers receive 24/7 support as well as access to necessary specialty care and social support, while obstetricians create a net-new revenue stream at no additional cost or administrative burden. The platform is well placed to serve mothers regardless of whether they are uninsured or covered by Medicaid or commercial insurance.
Lōvu has a proven track record of improving access to care and outcomes for mothers and babies, especially in underserved populations. The platform, which often uncovers chronic conditions like hypertension or mental health concerns, provides urgently needed interventions for acute preeclampsia, substance use disorders and suicidal ideation. Overall, Lōvu delivered earlier identification and intervention for preeclampsia than would have been possible with a traditional care model for 6% of mothers, identified depression and anxiety in upwards of 30% of clinical populations, and among mothers on platform with chronic hypertension, 57% were identified due to being on Lōvu.
“The existing maternal care model in the United States leads to significant care gaps, especially because we do a poor job adequately identifying risk for pregnancies where additional care is needed,” said Dr. Santosh Pandipati, co-founder and Chief Health Officer at Lōvu Health. “Lōvu’s technology transforms the patient experience throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Every mother’s journey is tailored to her individual needs, and our care navigators and trusted marketplace ensure mothers can quickly access best-in-class services. We deliver actionable data for clinicians that drives prevention rather than crisis mitigation and results in improved outcomes for mother, baby, and family.”
