Oula Health

High-Level Overview

Oula Health is a technology-enabled maternity care provider that delivers hybrid, midwifery-led prenatal, birth, postpartum, and gynecological services, primarily in New York City.[1][2][6] It serves expectant parents seeking personalized, low-intervention care, addressing U.S. maternal health challenges like rising C-section rates and poor postpartum support through a collaborative team of midwives, OBGYNs, social workers, and nurses, powered by proprietary software for patient portals, messaging, and care coordination.[1][3][4] With over 2,000 babies delivered, 25% lower C-section rates, 85% VBAC success (vs. 69% national average), and 51% fewer premature births, Oula has raised nearly $50M in funding, including a $28M Series B, to expand nationally.[1][2][6]

The company targets gaps in traditional obstetrics by offering early appointments from positive pregnancy tests, extended postpartum care, group education, and equity-focused support for BIPOC and Medicaid patients, achieving 25-65% better outcomes for underserved groups.[1][2]

Origin Story

Oula Health was founded in 2021 by Adrianne Nickerson and Elaine Purcell, who brought two decades of combined expertise in health tech, care delivery, and investing.[1][4] Nickerson, a second-time health tech founder, specialized in scaling care teams with technology, while Purcell, a former health plan executive, focused on holistic care models.[4] The idea emerged from their frustration with fragmented, hyper-medicalized maternity care amid deteriorating U.S. pregnancy outcomes over two decades, prompting a midwifery-first redesign integrating obstetrics, virtual services, and tech.[1][4]

Early traction came quickly: launching in NYC with partnerships like Mount Sinai West Hospital, Oula delivered over 1,500 babies in its first years, expanded to 175+ zip codes in NY/NJ, and achieved a 94 Net Promoter Score with 25% lower C-sections.[2][3] A prenatal clinic opened in early 2021, followed by plans for birth centers and national scaling via Series B funding.[1][4]

Core Differentiators

Oula stands out in women's health tech through its midwifery-obstetrics hybrid model, tech platform, and outcomes-focused care:

• Team-Based, Personalized Care: Providers spend twice as much time per patient; multidisciplinary teams (midwives, OBGYNs, social workers) customize plans from preconception to postpartum, with early ultrasounds, weekly postpartum hours, miscarriage support, and BIPOC spaces.[1][3]
• Tech-Enabled Accessibility: Proprietary app and portal for booking, messaging 24/7, lab results, decision aids, remote monitoring, and education—enabling hybrid virtual/in-person visits without compromising hospital access (e.g., epidurals).[1][3][4]
• Superior Outcomes and Equity: 25% lower C-sections, 51% fewer preterms, 85% VBAC rate; 25-65% better results for Black and Medicaid patients; serves 30+ insurance plans.[2][6]
• Consumer-Centric Expansion: Fills gaps like group classes and community building; partners with health systems to combat OB shortages and boost loyalty.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Oula rides the virtual/hybrid women's health wave, blending telehealth, apps, and clinic-based care to tackle maternal mortality crises—U.S. outcomes have worsened for 20+ years amid OB shortages and inequities.[1][5] Timing aligns with post-pandemic telehealth adoption and investor focus on women's health tech (e.g., alongside Maven, Hims), where digital tools enable scalable, low-intervention models reducing costs and interventions.[1][5] Market tailwinds include health systems seeking burnout solutions, loyalty via differentiated experiences, and payors valuing risk-optimized care; Oula's NYC growth (2K+ deliveries at Mount Sinai) proves viability for alliances.[2]

It influences the ecosystem by pioneering midwifery-tech integration, improving equity (e.g., for Black patients), and setting benchmarks—highflier in CB Insights' virtual women's healthcare matrix—pushing competitors toward holistic, tech-supported maternity.[2][5]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Oula's national expansion post-$50M funding positions it to redefine maternity care, potentially delivering tens of thousands more babies with its proven model.[1] Trends like AI-driven personalization, remote monitoring growth, and employer/health plan demand for maternal outcomes will accelerate this, especially as U.S. crises persist. Expect deeper health system embeds, preconception/miscarriage expansions, and birth center rollouts, evolving Oula from NYC disruptor to scalable platform influencing equity and low-intervention standards nationwide—reaffirming its mission to empower thriving pregnancies from test to postpartum.[1][2][4]