Malama Health announced it has raised $9.2 million in seed funding to expand its doula-led maternal care model for women insured by Medicaid across the United States. The round was led by Acumen America with participation from Wisdom Ventures, Capital F, and Coyote Ventures, along with angels from the company’s pre-seed round. The financing also includes federal and state grant funding.
The company focuses on addressing gaps in maternal healthcare for women with high-risk pregnancies, particularly those insured by Medicaid, who account for more than 40% of births in the United States. According to the company, maternal care in the U.S. system largely revolves around brief appointments, leaving women with little support between visits and limited follow-up after childbirth.
Malama was founded to provide continuous care through a coordinated system that integrates community-based doulas with health plans and clinical providers. Its model connects doula networks, clinical oversight, remote monitoring, and reporting infrastructure within Medicaid markets. The company employs Doula-Care Navigators who work directly with patients, attend births, conduct home visits, and provide support through the entire postpartum year.
These navigators also monitor health indicators and escalate clinical risks to medical professionals when necessary. Conditions such as elevated blood pressure, postpartum depression symptoms, or abnormal glucose readings are flagged in real time to clinicians within the patient’s care network.
The company says its infrastructure integrates with clinics, hospitals, and community health centers that serve Medicaid populations. Malama’s approach also incorporates bilingual support, accessible technology, and educational content designed at a fifth-grade literacy level to ensure accessibility.
A key focus of the model is the postpartum period, when the healthcare system often disengages despite elevated risks for complications. Gestational diabetes, which affects roughly 8% of pregnancies, is one area of focus. Without structured follow-up care after delivery, women with gestational diabetes face a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes within five years.
Malama has received additional funding to address this gap. A $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is supporting postpartum risk stratification and tailored care through the company’s CDC-certified Diabetes Prevention Program. Another $900,000 in California state funding is expanding its doula-led care navigation services.
The company reports early outcomes from patient data collected from more than 2,500 women showing measurable improvements in maternal health metrics, including reduced NICU admissions, lower C-section rates, and fewer preterm births. A randomized controlled trial conducted at Tufts Medical Center also found that women using Malama’s services during pregnancy were 40% less likely to develop postpartum diabetes compared with standard care.
Malama currently works with Medicaid managed care plans and healthcare systems including Stanford Health Care, UCSF Health, and UCLA Health, and maintains relationships with more than 600 clinics and hospitals nationwide.
The new funding will support expansion into additional states, growth of its Doula-Care Navigator workforce, and deeper integration with health plans and healthcare systems that serve Medicaid populations.
Founder and CEO Mika Eddy said the company is building an infrastructure designed specifically to support women who have historically been underserved by the healthcare system.
