US perinatal nutrition start-up secures US$14m in funding

The US nutrition company Needed has secured US$14m in funding to improve perinatal outcomes.

Needed develops nutritional supplements for women in the perinatal stage. Since launching in 2021, the start-up has expanded its product offering to cover a range of issues, including egg and sperm quality, lactation, stress, sleep and hydration.

Its products and educational content, the company argues, are designed around research and clinical insights from the women’s health experts who recommend Needed.

Research shows pregnancy and lactation deplete nutrients essential to the neurotransmission system. This may be one reason for the increased risk of depression during the perinatal period.

Julie Sawaya, Needed co-founder and co-CEO, said: “Nutrition is one of the most significant and most overlooked decisions made in the pregnancy journey.

“However, nutrition is often relegated to an afterthought and women are left with more questions than answers about their nutritional needs. What’s more, standard prenatal vitamins are designed to meet just the bare minimums, leaving over 95 per cent of women depleted.

“Needed is setting a new, radically better standard for perinatal nutrition combining the products, education, and access to nutritional experts that all women need and deserve.”

Ryan Woodbury, Needed co-founder and co-CEO, said: “Nutrition changes perinatal outcomes. Not just birth outcomes, but fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and the health trajectory of mum and baby for the rest of their life.

“Needed Labs is on a mission to develop new data through research and aggregate clinical insights to ensure the impact of proper perinatal nutrition can no longer be ignored in the standard of care.

“Insights from Needed Labs will also power our product development, keeping us at the cutting edge of perinatal nutrition.”

The funding round, led by consumer investor The Craftory, with additional participation from existing investors Seae Ventures and Crescent Ridge VC, is hoped to accelerate product innovation, content creation and the launch of Needed Labs, the company’s clinical insights and research arm.