Pumpspotting, a Kittery-based company offering software and services to support breastfeeding or pumping moms in and out of the workplace, announced earlier this month that it raised $2.2 million to fund its ongoing business development efforts in the retail and healthcare sectors.
Sincere Corporation and Maine Venture Fund led the round, which also included Unum Business Ventures and the Maine Technology Institute, according to a news release. The company labeled this financing event as its “Series Seed II” round; the company previously raised $1.15 million in 2021 in an initial seed round led by MooDoo Investments, a venture capital fund with offices in Boston and San Diego.
The company, founded in 2015, offers both a consumer-facing product, as well as B2B software and services. Its consumer app provides moms with access to virtual consultations with lactation experts and a geolocation feature that shows mom-approved nursing or pumping locations near them. Its B2B enterprise software platform provides working moms with 24-7 lactation consultant support, a custom company chat portal, and the ability to schedule internal workplace lactation rooms.
“Sincere is a family of brands with heart. Our investment in Pumpspotting is part of our commitment to grow technology that supports families during important life milestones,” Matt Douglas, Sincere’s founder and CEO, said in a statement.
The company in its announcement said the funding “will support enterprise acceleration, continue Pumpspotting’s commercial product expansion and allow them [sic] to launch Pumpspotting Healthcare.”
The company is poised to capitalize on a few converging trends and developments, it said in its news release. First, U.S. employers are spending an increasing amount on family-related employee benefits, including support for working moms who need to breastfeed or pump in the workplace. Additionally, two federal laws enacted this year—the PUMP Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act—will also push more employers to provide lactation support for employees, creating demand for Pumpspotting’s platform.
“Over the past eight years, we have watched a transformation begin as organizations of all sizes recognize the necessity and importance of supporting parents on feeding journeys,” Amy VanHaren, Pumpspotting’s founder and CEO, said in the announcement. “We’re excited to be leading the way with a business solution that bridges the gap between companies and parents, not only supporting compliance but also building inclusion and support of breastfeeding workers feeding both family and career.”
Traction to date
When VanHaren founded Pumpspotting in 2015, her original vision was to create a social platform to support moms who were breastfeeding and pumping. The app, which included Yelp-like reviews of places where a mom could nurse or pump, was first launched in 2016.
The company was self-funded, though it raised $41,254 through a Kickstarter campaign in August 2017. In 2018, it participated in MassChallenge in Boston and won a $75,000 award from PepsiCo for developing an innovative solution in business services. (For more on VanHaren’s journey with Pumpspotting, including how the COVID-19 pandemic both challenged and benefited the company, read my 2020 profile of the company.)
To date, more than 70,000 parents have used Pumpspotting’s platform and employer-based lactation programs. Companies that have implemented its platform include Tilson Technologies in Portland, DraftKings, Consigli Construction, and Ally Logistics.
“As a woman in logistics who has experienced the ‘before Pumpspotting’ to the ‘after pumpspotting’ workplace, I can personally say the implementation of the program made a positive and significant difference in my return to work transition after having my second baby,” said Mickey DeJong, head of culture and special projects at Ally Logistics.
“Logistics is typically a male-dominated industry with a high burnout rate. Offering benefits like Pumpspotting to employees is a great way to approach benefits from an inclusive perspective. Not only does it directly impact the employees who will utilize the benefit immediately, but it allows Ally to grow with their people as they grow their own families.”
Pumpspotting has also expanded outside of the workplace. On Mother’s Day earlier this year, the Portland Sea Dogs partnered with Pumpspotting to offer its employees and fans free access to the Pumpspotting app using access codes posted around the ballpark. In another example, the Waukesha County Breastfeeding Coalition in Wisconsin partnered with Pumpspotting to offer lactation support to anyone living and working in the county.
“The team at Pumpspotting has built a strong community-driven product and we’re excited to continue to support them in the next chapter of their growth,” Sincere’s Douglas said.
