The Challenges of New Motherhood and a Novel Solution

Becoming a new mother can be a daunting experience, and raising an infant or toddler presents its own unique set of challenges. Obtaining reliable guidance isn’t always straightforward, despite the abundance of parenting resources available in books, online, and through advice from family.

Introducing Oath Care: A New Approach to Parental Support

While online social groups offer some degree of emotional support for new parents, limitations exist – large groups can feel impersonal, and misinformation can spread easily. Recognizing this gap, Oath Care, a San Francisco-based startup comprised of four individuals, has secured $2 million in seed funding from XYZ Ventures, General Catalyst, and Eros Resmini, formerly of Discord and the Mini Fund.

How Oath Care Functions

Founder Camilla Hermann characterizes Oath Care as a subscription-based mobile application designed to enhance the well-being of new mothers. The app connects parents with shared characteristics, healthcare professionals, and moderators to facilitate group discussions and individual video consultations.

Specifically, a monthly subscription of $20 grants access to curated circles of up to ten pregnant or postpartum mothers. These groups are formed based on factors such as pregnancy stage, child’s age, geographic location, and professional background, enabling peer-to-peer support and question-asking, guided by a trained moderator – often an experienced mother.

Curated Content and Expert Access

Oath Care also delivers a structured curriculum developed internally by its team, tailored to the specific needs of each group. Furthermore, members benefit from collective access to medical specialists who can address general inquiries as part of their subscription, with options for personalized consultations when required.

The pricing structure for these 15-minute consultations is currently under development. However, the medical professionals involved view the app as a valuable source of potential clients.

Inspiration and Underlying Philosophy

Hermann notes that the concept originated from her previous work on contact tracing technology used to monitor outbreaks like Ebola. She believes this experience highlighted the importance of interconnected systems in health.

During a recent conversation with TechCrunch and co-founder Michelle Stephens, a pediatric clinician and research scientist, Hermann stated: “We have often misinterpreted a crucial aspect of health in Western societies; we assume changes occur individually or in isolated body parts, but they invariably happen within interconnected systems, both internal and external, meaning they always unfold within a community.”

The Role of Childhood Stress Research

Stephens, who initially met Hermann at a dinner several years ago, explains that her motivation for co-founding Oath stems from research into childhood stress. By “empowering parents to provide consistent, positive caregiving,” Oath aims to foster stronger, more secure parent-child relationships.

Potential for Growth and Expansion

While the initial focus is on matching mothers in similar circumstances to improve health outcomes, the platform’s potential extends far beyond. It could evolve to connect parents based on shared interests, such as preschool applications, autism support, or same-sex parenting. Opportunities also exist for offering relevant products and gathering valuable data.

Long-Term Vision: Data-Driven Healthcare Improvements

Hermann envisions Oath creating comprehensive datasets that can be utilized to enhance health outcomes, including earlier identification of potential health concerns. The company also intends to establish partnerships with healthcare systems and insurance providers to broaden access to its services.

Current Status and Future Plans

Currently, Oath Care is focused on meeting existing demand. The company acquired its first 50 users through Facebook advertising, and this number rapidly tripled organically, leading to the implementation of a waitlist for its closed beta program. (A full launch is “anticipated in late summer,” according to Stephens.)

Despite these immediate priorities, the company is actively considering future development. Hermann emphasizes that the current focus is on “building an exceptional experience for this specific group of users during this particular phase of their lives.” However, once numerous, highly engaged, and trusted communities are established, “the possibilities for expansion are virtually limitless.”