The Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) Board has awarded Curio Digital Therapeutics a $75K grant to accelerate the development of technologies, products, and services that support maternal and child wellbeing in New Jersey. Curio was selected alongside 16 other highly promising startups for a grand total of $1.275M in combined grants. The grants were awarded through CSIT’s Maternal and Infant Health Research & Development (R&D) Grant Program, which launched last June.
Through the Maternal and Infant Health R&D Seed Grant Program, CSIT will advance the innovation economy through the development of critically necessary research, products, and services designed to support maternal and infant health. This effort supports the goals established by the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan, which aims to make New Jersey the safest place in America to deliver a baby, specifically focusing on ending racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Launched in 2019 by Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy, Nurture NJ is a comprehensive, whole-of-government effort to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and ensure equitable care among women and children of all races and ethnicities in New Jersey.
Curio will be using the CSIT grant to advance maternal health care for New Jersey mothers of color, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. The enhanced Curio product suite will provide digital-first tools augmented by therapists and health coaches to help new and expecting mothers from underserved communities to reduce their risk of depression and anxiety.
“We are deeply honored to receive this award. Curio’s main mission is to provide every woman with on-demand access to the digital tools that they need to support and empower themselves,” said Curio Digital Therapeutics CEO Shailja Dixit, “We will be using this grant, in collaboration with other community-based organizations to provide accessibility and affordability to all women, especially for women of color and underrepresented groups. Our programs are meant to fill this gap by providing instant access at an affordable cost in a way that allows women access when it is most convenient for them. Between our MamaLift program that supports new and soon-to-be-moms and our FertiLift program assisting women that wish to conceive, we are perfectly positioned to help motherhood in every stage. We are incredibly honored to have been selected and will make sure to maximize the impact this grant has on improving the future for all womankind in New Jersey and beyond.”
“Under Governor Murphy’s and First Lady Murphy’s leadership, CSIT and the NJEDA are finding innovative ways to help make New Jersey the safest place to give birth and focusing on ending racial disparities in maternal and infant health,” Sullivan said. “These grant awards serve the dual purpose of prioritizing investment into programs, research, and services that improve the lives of women and children, while also working to drive down the racial inequities that exist in access to care. In addition, we are furthering opportunities for young, innovative companies in the Garden State.”
