Nadia Care raised $12 million in funding to expand its community-centered maternal care, the startup announced on Monday.
The maternal health company is formerly known as Cayaba Care and offers care coordination, benefits navigation, prenatal support, labor and birth support, lactation support, nutrition counseling, mental health and postpartum care. The services are provided in the home, virtually and in the community (like a coffee shop or Walmart parking lot). Nadia Care’s support is delivered by maternity navigators, registered nurses, doulas, lactation consultants and nutritionists.
“We believe the core of what is broken in maternal care is trust. We hear this directly from our members — women who have experienced real disrespect and dismissal from the healthcare system,” said Adaeze Enekwechi, CEO of Nadia Care. “They have traveled across town on two buses to get to a prenatal appointment, only to be greeted with accusations rather than care. No one should face pregnancy like that. What is normal in communities around the world is having support: people around you, caring for you, showing up for you. We are trying to operationalize that empathy into the American healthcare system.”
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Nadia Care’s $12 million round was led by Valtruis and a national payer, with participation from First Trust Capital Partners and RH Capital. The company declined to share the name of the payer.
“Nadia Care is challenging the status quo of how maternal care is delivered, stepping in to fill a major gap for mothers and families with care directly from their communities,” said Anna Haghgooie, managing director at Valtruis, in a statement. “When you pair that kind of connection with wraparound care and technology, you see improved health outcomes and lower total costs.”
The financing will help the company expand its presence in existing and new markets, according to Enekwechi. It currently works with Medicaid plans in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Tennessee.
Since launching in 2021, Nadia Care has supported about 4,000 members and achieved a 60% reduction in NICU days, 47% reduction in low birth weight rates, 38% lower preterm birth rates and 25% fewer emergency room visits. This comes as the U.S. has some of the highest maternal morbidity and mortality rates among high-income countries.
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There are several other maternal health startups, including Pomelo Care, Pacify and Mahmee. However, most of these companies are virtual. Nadia Care differs by providing in-person treatment in the home and the community, as well as virtually, Enekwechi said.
Nadia Care hopes to eventually make its model the norm, Enekwechi added.
“Our long-term goal is to be the company that proves that community-centered, hybrid maternal care is the default model for pregnant and postpartum women and their families,” Enekwechi said. “The kind where a real person shows up in your life, earns your trust, and walks alongside you throughout your pregnancy journey. The kind that can work at scale, within the existing healthcare system, and for the populations that need it most.”
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