https://www.blackenterprise.com/serena-williams-mark-cuban-black-owned-maternal-healthcare-startup/

Mahmee, a maternal healthcare startup, recently closed a $3 million round led by Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital. Other investors include Mark Cuban, Serena Williams for Serena Ventures and Pipeline Angels, among others.

The platform allows physicians and specialists to use the Mahmee to share care plans and stay on the same page about mom and baby’s care options. New and expecting parents get a personalized dashboard for linking mom and baby’s health records and tracking health over time so that Mahmee care managers can provide ongoing support and education.

“In the maternity healthcare process, on the surface, there are generally three or four people involved: the mother, the baby, and each of their physicians. What we don’t see are the many other people helping them: nurses, lactation consultants, midwives, nutritionists, therapists, doulas, home health aides, social workers, and more,” said Melissa Hanna, CEO and co-founder of Mahmee in a statement.

“And this industry is lacking the IT infrastructure needed to connect these professionals from different organizations to each other and to follow and monitor patients across practices and health systems. This missing element creates gaps in care. Mahmee is the glue that connects the care ecosystem and closes the gaps.”

“I am incredibly excited to invest and partner with Mahmee, a company that personifies my firm’s investment philosophy,” Williams stated in a recent press release. “Given the bleak data surrounding maternal death and injury rates, I believe that it is absolutely critical right now to invest in solutions that help protect the lives of moms and babies. Mahmee’s data-driven approach is the right solution to one of the most significant problems in the system: that of fragmented care.”

The investment has a personal connection for Williams. She had a near-fatal experience delivering her first child, which she recounted in-depth in an interview with Vogue. Her revelations helped shed light on the sub-par maternal healthcare black women often receive, and the high black infant mortality rates.

Previous investors included Cross Culture Ventures, Acumen America, The Helm, Bumble Fund, and several others.