Goldman Sachs wants to change that. Mahmee, a six-year-old maternal health startup, announced the closing of a $9.2 million Series A funding round led by Goldman’s Growth Equity Business.
The high maternal mortality rate in the US, especially among minority groups, “has become a systemic problem that we don’t pay attention to,” said Mahmee founder and CEO Melissa Hanna. “But we can also change that.”
“The reality is that most of the record systems we use to track maternal and infant health information don’t talk to each other,” Hanna said.
Mahmee creates a single record for each patient that shows all of the mother’s health data in one place. The service also offers access to a national network of community health care providers, including full-time nurses and care coordinators, who provide live support seven days a week. Coordinators monitor medical needs, offer referrals to healthcare professionals, and help with questions and concerns from expectant mothers.
The company also works directly with institutions, selling its nurse-led coordination programs to a range of medical services, medical groups, and insurance companies. Mahmee currently has over 750 vendors and organizations in its network across 44 states.
“We were able to create some life-saving interventions and point out things that other people might just overlook by accident or lack of experience,” Hanna said.
Since its launch in 2016, Mahmee has served more than 15,000 women, Hanna said, and these patients are 10% less likely to have a caesarean section and 50% less likely to have a preterm birth.
“Disparities in access to high-quality maternal and perinatal care are contributing to poor health outcomes in underserved communities and significant costs to the broader health care system,” said Suzanne Gowron, Global Head of Launch With GS, a Goldman Sachs program that aims to expand access to medical care. capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs and investors. “We believe Mahmi is well positioned to improve the lives of mothers and babies by closing critical gaps in care capacity and outcomes.”
“If we even touch on solving this problem for any mothers and children in this country,” Hanna said, “we will unleash the potential for billions of dollars here.”