US clinic Oula raises US$19.1m to tackle ‘maternity crisis’

The maternity clinic Oula has secured US$19.1m in funding to improve quality of maternity and newborn care in the US.

The clinic has said it is currently outperforming national, state, and city quality standards and has reached full capacity at their first location in Brooklyn, New York.

The company later opened its second location in Manhattan to keep up with demand. 

“Ask just about anyone who has been pregnant or is considering giving birth in the US, and it’s clear that when it comes to maternity care, the status quo isn’t serving anyone,” said Adrianne Nickerson, Oula co-founder and CEO.

“Between miserable patient experiences, poor health outcomes, and extraordinarily high costs, there is room for improvement.

“At Oula, we are focused on providing a great experience and great outcomes for our patients. That means listening to and taking their concerns seriously, prioritising mental health as well as physical, approaching this work through a lens of equity and inclusivity, hiring diverse and culturally competent staff, providing trauma-informed care, emphasising the importance of postpartum care, and empowering patients to advocate for themselves.”

The recent round, led by 8VC with participation from Chelsea Clinton’s fund, Metrodora, the Female Founders Fund, Collaborative Fund and Alumni Ventures, will help Oula advance its full-service pregnancy care that includes prenatal, delivery, and postpartum.

Elaine Purcell, Oula co-founder and COO, said: “The funding makes it possible to expand Oula’s care offerings to include sonography and further group support.

“In addition to our postpartum office hours and dedicated monthly space for BIPOC patients and families, we are grateful for the ability to offer new opportunities for groups to come together to work through experiences such as pregnancy loss with the help of trained staff.

“Pregnancy and early parenthood can be isolating and lonely, and we view our community support offerings as a key part of our patients’ care.”

The announcement comes at a critical moment when US maternal mortality rates are rising dramatically and women are facing what the Washington Post described as the crisis in America’s maternity wards.

According to the World Health Organization, increasing access to midwives is one of the most powerful ways to reduce maternal deaths, lower preterm birth and cesarean rates, and lower the cost of childcare.

One study published in The Lancet found that including more midwives in healthcare systems could prevent more than 80 per cent of maternal and infant deaths.

However, data suggests women in the US report the least positive experiences in healthcare and are more likely to report emotional distress compared to women in other high-income countries.

Clinics like Oula have taken a different approach, aiming to spend additional time with patients to create deeper connections, understand their needs and identify potential problems earlier on.

Kimmy Scotti, 8VC founding partner, said: “Oula’s new transformative approach is not only refreshing – it’s desperately needed.”