Virtual maternity care provider Pomelo Care raised $92 million in a funding round led by Stripes, reaching a $1.7 billion valuation as investor interest grows in data-driven healthcare solutions targeting pregnancy risks.
Pomelo Care, a virtual healthcare platform specializing in predictive analytics for pregnancy risks, has secured $92 million in new funding led by Stripes. The round values the company at $1.7 billion, reflecting heightened investor confidence in data-driven maternal health solutions. This represents Pomelo's largest funding round since its founding.
Founded by former Flatiron Health executive Marta Bralic Kerns, Pomelo Care provides 24/7 virtual care for expectant mothers through proprietary algorithms that analyze patient data to flag potential pregnancy complications. The platform integrates electronic health records, wearable device data, and patient-reported information to identify risks like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes earlier than traditional methods.
The funding arrives amid accelerating growth in the femtech sector, which PitchBook data shows grew 58% year-over-year to reach $71 billion globally in 2025. Virtual maternity care adoption has surged particularly fast, with Grand View Research reporting a 223% increase in users since 2022. This growth stems from worsening maternal health outcomes - CDC data shows pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. increased 89% between 2018 and 2025, with significant disparities among minority populations.
Strategic implications of this capital infusion include:
- Service Expansion: Pomelo will extend coverage to Medicaid populations across 12 additional states
- Technology Development: 30% of funds allocated to enhancing predictive algorithms using longitudinal patient data
- Clinical Validation: Planned investment in peer-reviewed studies to demonstrate 40% reduction in preterm births
- Partnership Pipeline: Hospital system integrations targeting 150 new provider networks by Q3 2026
Competitive analysis shows Pomelo competing against legacy players like Maven Clinic ($1.35B valuation) and newer entrants such as Cayaba Care. Pomelo differentiates through its focus on quantifiable risk prediction - internal data shows their system identifies complications 17 days earlier than industry averages.
The $1.7B valuation represents a significant premium (8.2x revenue multiple) compared to digital health averages (4.3x), signaling investor belief in high-margin predictive models. Stripes' investment follows their pattern of backing data-intensive healthcare platforms, including previous investments in Flatiron Health and VillageMD.
With maternal mortality rates continuing to rise and telehealth adoption stabilizing at 38% above pre-pandemic levels, Pomelo's funding underscores the market's confidence in algorithmic approaches to reversing negative health trends. The company's planned Medicaid expansion could prove strategically crucial, given that government programs cover 42% of U.S. births yet suffer from the worst health outcomes.
Pomelo Care | Flatiron Health | CDC Pregnancy Mortality Data
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