SimpliFed, the virtual maternal health platform focused on breastfeeding and baby feeding support, has raised $10.8 million in an oversubscribed Series A led by Morningside and Hesperia Capital with participation from Foreground Capital, AHA Social Impact Fund, Elizabeth Street Ventures, and others.
The funding marks a significant strategic expansion: SimpliFed is evolving from a virtual lactation platform into a comprehensive virtual OB provider, offering prenatal and postpartum care for low-risk patients in partnership with health systems and clinics. The model manages lactation consultations and routine check-ins remotely while securely sharing updates with the patient’s primary OB-GYN – freeing up in-clinic time for patients requiring more complex or in-person care.
“We have created a longitudinal care model that now not only offers breastfeeding and baby feeding support, but has now evolved to serve families with virtual OB offerings,” said founder and CEO Andrea Ippolito. “This is a testament to the needs within maternal health where we serve as an extension of the current standard of care to fill in the gaps.”
SimpliFed is in network with most major commercial health plans nationally and Medicaid plans across several states, and says it is on track to serve 5% of all U.S. births in 2026. The company’s outcomes data is strong: a study featured in the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy found 96.6% of SimpliFed patients breastfed at one week and 55.3% at 12 months, compared to national averages of 85.7% and 40.8% respectively. Patients who attended more visits added months to their overall breastfeeding journey, and PHQ-9 scores improved among appointment users at 4-6 months postpartum, indicating reduced postpartum depression.
The timing aligns with structural shifts in maternal care. CDC data shows 25% of mothers delay prenatal care and 60% stop breastfeeding earlier than intended, driven in part by growing OB-provider shortages and maternal care deserts. ACOG now recommends virtual care models to improve maternal outcomes, and the AMA is eliminating the global maternity reimbursement code starting January 2027 – unbundling antepartum, delivery, and postpartum billing in an effort to improve access to individual maternal health services.
“SimpliFed’s evolution from a virtual lactation platform to a comprehensive virtual OB model will meaningfully close gaps in perinatal care,” said Michael Papile, co-founder of Hesperia Capital, who joins the board.
The funding will support growth of SimpliFed’s proprietary Maternal Health Operating System, activate partnerships with health systems and OB-GYN clinics, and deepen EMR interoperability for seamless provider collaboration. SimpliFed recently partnered with Mamava to integrate virtual lactation consulting directly into the Mamava app.
