This is a follow-on event with HBS Angels

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MOMI - Momtech

Summary

Momtech is commercializing revolutionary patented technologies for “the breast pump that works like a baby” and “the bottle that works like a mom”.  Invented by the former president of North America’s leading breast pump company, Momtech’s products are the first of their kind to solve big problems for moms and their babies by replicating the biomechanical function of natural nursing.

 

Watch our technology explainer animation here:  https://vimeo.com/467188977 …and watch the five-minute version of our investor pitch here:  https://vimeo.com/813697534/f73fae929b

 

Problem

Today’s breast pump and bottle nipple technologies do not replicate the important biomechanical properties of natural nursing.  Every breast pump on the market today operates on a single common principle of physics:  negative pressure (vacuum).  This results in painful swelling of the breast tissue:  77% of moms recently surveyed say they hate their breast pumps, and 60% say their pumps cause pain.  Similarly, every bottle nipple on the market today has four physiological traits in common, which distinguish them from the natural nipple.  Conventional bottle nipples are hollow, are made out of a hard silicone, are minimally stretchable, and most importantly, continue to allow milk to flow even when compressed.  This results in nipple confusion, bottle refusal, excessive regurgitation, overfeeding, and other complications.

 

Solution

Momtech’s patented “breast pump that works like a baby” is the only pump that uses both positive AND negative pressure to extract milk, replicating the action of the baby’s tongue to apply positive pressure to the nipple tissue, compressing it to reduce swelling and prevent pain.  Our patented “bottle that works like a mom” is the first bottle nipple that resembles the natural nipple physiologically: solid, soft, and stretchy, enabling the baby to regulate the flow of milk by compression with the tongue.

 

Markets, Commercialization, & IP

Across both product lines Momtech targets a $4B global market.  The feeding system (bottle) launched at the end of 2022, with sales reaching $47,000 in March 2023.  The breast pump is targeted to reach the market in by end of 2024.  The breast pump is a Class II medical device and will pursue regulatory approval through the 510K pathway.  Recent clinical study participants overwhelmingly rate the Momtech breast pump more comfortable than their current pump.  Many even rate it more comfortable than nursing.

 

Momtech holds nine issued US patents covering both core technologies, plus numerous international counterparts and pending applications.

 

Management Team

Carr Lane Quackenbush, PhD, co-founder, inventor, Chairman, and Chief Innovation Officer, formerly served as president of Medela, Inc., North America’s leading breast pump company.  During his 11-year tenure he led the company through a period of unprecedented growth.

 

Hal Eason, co-founder and CEO, is a 25-year serial entrepreneur with experience in technology commercialization.  He is a former Bain strategy consultant and holds an MBA from HBS (Baker Scholar, John L. Loeb Fellow).

 

Kristen Fields, VP of Marketing, previously grew L’Oréal’s $100M “essie” brand from 12% to 20% market share over a six-year period.

 

Meg Alden, MD, Chief Medical Officer, is a practicing pediatrician, biomedical engineer, and mother of two.

 

Raise

Momtech is raising $3M to complete the development of the breast pump and to scale sales & marketing of the feeding system.  The offering is for convertible notes with a $17M conversion cap and 20% conversion discount.  More than half the round has been committed, mostly from current investors, many of whom are HBSAA members who first learned of Momtech in our 2021 global syndication pitch.

 

Also investing $300K in the current round is a strategic partner, BLUR Product Development, the medical device firm developing the company’s breast pump.