Pomelo Care, a virtual medical practice focused on improving maternal and newborn health, has announced a successful $46 million Series B funding round. The funding, led by First Round Capital and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, aims to scale Pomelo’s care model in the U.S.
Pomelo Care’s mission is driven by concerning statistics in maternal and infant health in the U.S. Currently, 1 in 10 babies are admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at birth, and maternal morbidity and mortality rates surpass those of other developed nations. The situation is particularly dire for people of color and in regions with limited access to maternal care, where 1 in 8 births occur.
The company’s virtual care model addresses these disparities by using data analytics to identify high-risk individuals and providing comprehensive, evidence-based care throughout pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy. This approach has shown significant improvements in clinical outcomes.
With the latest Series B financing, Pomelo Care’s total funding has reached $79 million. This round included participation from Stripes and existing investors such as SV Angel, Operator Partners, and BoxGroup, along with angel investors like Adam Boehler, founder of Rubicon Founders, and Puneet Singh, CEO of CareBridge.
In 2024, Pomelo says it expanded its coverage from 2 million to over 3 million lives across 46 U.S. states, partnering with numerous health plans to provide accessible care. The company also presented research at the 2024 ACOG Clinical & Scientific Meeting. The data highlighted the effectiveness of their telemedicine services in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly among Medicaid populations. Significant findings included a 2.4x increase in evidence-based aspirin prophylaxis usage, reducing preeclampsia risk by 25%, and a 7x increase in mental health screenings, reducing perinatal depression risk by 40%. Additional studies will be presented at upcoming medical conferences, demonstrating reductions in emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, and NICU utilization.
Marta Bralic Kerns, Founder & CEO of Pomelo Care, shared: “We’ve long known what works to reduce maternal and infant complications. The questions have always been: can you identify the patients who are at highest risk, can you deeply engage them in care to drive uptake of the prevention strategies we know work, and can you do it in the highest risk populations with the most limited access to care? This data demonstrates that we absolutely can. And with this additional funding, we’ll have the opportunity to scale our care model to more pregnant people across the country.”
Josh Kopelman, Partner at First Round Capital, said: “It’s rare to come across an opportunity where the incentives between patient, provider, and payor are all aligned. Marta and the Pomelo team have found an incredible opportunity to dramatically improve outcomes for the highest risk populations while helping payors reduce their avoidable costs.”
Vineeta Agarwala, MD, PhD, General Partner at a16z Bio + Health added: “Pomelo is one among a small set of health tech companies that have earned true scale. This scale is evident in the partnerships with major Medicaid and commercial plans covering over 3 million lives, which create the opportunity to collaborate with OB providers, labor and delivery wards, and NICUs nationwide, while serving hundreds of thousands of expecting mothers and newborns with high-quality, technology-enabled care.”
