AI App for New Parents - Built by Ex-Etsy Product Manager

New Parenting App, Riley, Aims to Provide Science-Backed Guidance

Amanda DeLuca, a former career product manager, has unveiled Riley, a novel parenting management application. This app originated from her personal experiences navigating parental anxieties and valuable input gathered from numerous families.

From Tech Industry to Parenting Solutions

DeLuca’s professional background includes tenures at prominent companies such as Google, NerdWallet, Eventbrite, and Etsy. Her journey into developing Riley began approximately three years ago, coinciding with her pregnancy.

Alongside her husband, also a product manager, she engaged with a wide array of resources to prepare for parenthood. However, the arrival of their daughter revealed a gap between acquired knowledge and practical readiness.

The couple subsequently sought solutions online, but found existing options to be inadequate in efficiency. DeLuca explained to TechCrunch, “Parents across the U.S. are encountering difficulties utilizing current tools to monitor their baby’s milestones and obtain parenting guidance. Frequently, these resources are overloaded with information yet lack robust technological features. This represents a significant unmet need.”

Riley’s Core Functionality

Currently in public beta, Riley centers around two primary features.

Firstly, the app facilitates the tracking of essential data points, including sleep patterns, diaper changes, vaccination records, and feeding schedules. It then leverages AI to deliver data-driven insights, such as optimal nap times or explanations for changes in nap duration.

Secondly, Riley incorporates an AI-powered platform designed to answer parental questions with personalized solutions. The company utilizes research from medical and psychological studies and has established a clinical advisory board to continually expand its knowledge base.

“What sets us apart is our ability to integrate the data provided by parents with evidence-based scientific knowledge,” DeLuca stated. “We maintain exceptionally high standards for the quality of information incorporated into our knowledge base.”

Personalization and Future Development

The initial onboarding process for Riley involves gathering information about parents, their children, their parenting approaches, and any co-caregivers. Future plans include a more comprehensive onboarding experience to enable immediate personalized recommendations.

Over time, the app will also solicit information regarding a baby’s developing personality traits to provide even more nuanced insights.

Subscription Details and Roadmap

During the public beta period, Riley offers a single subscription plan with a 30-day trial. Pricing varies based on the chosen billing cycle.

Subscriptions are available for $14.99 monthly, $11.99 per month with quarterly billing, or $9.99 per month with an annual commitment.

The company anticipates exiting the public beta phase later this year and intends to introduce educational guides for parents, with a focus on topics like sleep training.

Competitive Landscape and Funding

Riley exemplifies the increasing trend of applications aiming to personalize knowledge bases across various life domains, such as nutrition or communication, and utilizing AI to enhance existing information. The app faces competition from established players like Huckleberry, a sleep-tracking application, and Maple, a family management tool.

To support its growth and expand its user base, Riley secured $3.1 million in seed funding. The round was led by True Ventures, with participation from Flybridge and Next Wave NYC.

Natasha Sharma of True Ventures, who will be joining Riley’s board, highlighted the app’s potential to deliver much-needed, science-based parental advice.

“In an era of information overload, parents specifically struggle with identifying reliable sources for their most important questions,” Sharma commented. “Generic searches and online forums often yield conflicting information. Amanda’s personal experience as a parent inspired her to create a solution that families genuinely desire—a platform providing scientifically sound advice tailored to each family’s unique circumstances, fostering their growth and well-being.”