Parental support is key when it comes to parenting and being able to navigate through the many different products and services available on the market. Babylist and Expectful have combined their resources to create a better experience for parents. Expectful helps parents with infertility, as well as mental wellness around fertility issues. This merge will make it easier for families to find products that match their needs and help them Navigate through all of the different choices out there!
The similarities between Babylist and Expectful go beyond their shared mission: both startups haveCEOs who invested in one another’s last venture capital round, as well as Walton, Gordon and company executives investing together in Expectful’s $40 million Series C. But the overlap extends beyond these partnerships. Incorporating email order fulfillment into a customer data platform – something both startups are working on – should create synergies that could drive growth. In addition to growing their respective businesses, the two companies can learn from each other to help them better serve customers and compete against larger players in the industry
Although neither company has released an official purchase price, both Babylist and Expectful have raised over $50 million from investors including Norwest Venture Partners, Halogen Ventures, 500 Global, Next Play Capital, and Marcy Venture Partners. With such a strong backing from established financiers and the potential for even more growth in their respective industries, it’s clear that these startups are on the right track.
Babylist is hoping to create a larger, health and wellness media property through its newly-combined company. In addition to Expectful’s website, Gordon hinted that much of the site’s content will eventually be free to access – something different from its currently advertised subscriber-oriented business model. This change could potentially attract a new audience and increase Babylist’s visibility in the industry.
If you’re having a baby, or thinking about whether or not to have one, Expectful is here to help. With its blog and podcast, the company Talks Parenting, Expectful can talk to parents in a way that feels personal and relevant – even when they’re overwhelmed by all of the new emotions that come with parenthood.
In the past year, Babylist saw staggering revenue growth and continued to expand its reach into new markets. The company’s eye for innovation and expansion may be partially attributable to its success in moving millions of products through their platform. With 8 million customers and over $240 million in sales last year, Babylist continues to prove that it is a force to be reckoned with in the retail industry.
When Walton joined Expectful, she saw it as an opportunity to be entrepreneurial. However, she was soon tapped to lead the business when its previous CEO and founder, Mark Krassner, saw her potential. Krassner’s strategy was to pivot the company away from recorded meditations and focus on creating premium content that could be matched with a community of like-minded individuals. This plan proved successful and by 2018, Expectful had reached 1 million monthly users.
Now that Babylist has been acquired by Amazon, the entrepreneur is pleased with the outcome. She sees this as a sign that her exit strategy was correct and she will continue to stay on as a board advisor.
The acquisition of Virgin Active by Walmart opens up the possibility for the company to provide a much needed solution to women, who need products and services. The timing of the acquisition is particularly important as many startups are looking to prioritize impact over revenue growth.
