就在上周，General Catalyst的彼得·博伊斯（Peter Boyce）解释了他在创始人中寻找的最重要的事情之一是如何与其所解决的问题建立个人联系。凯特·韦斯特维尔特（Kate Westervelt）就是这样一位创始人。
韦斯特维尔特（Westervelt）创立了Mombox，这是一套精选的产后护理产品套件，重点放在妈妈而非孩子身上。该公司最近完成了由Wayfund和TBD Angels以及来自Facebook，Amazon，Uber和Drizly等组织的高净值个人领导的500,000美元天使轮融资。
Westervelt在生下第一个孩子之后，首先想到了Mombox的想法，并迅速了解到她需要多种产品来帮助她的身体康复，这些产品很难找到，尤其是在髋关节上新生的婴儿。
标准的Mombox包括有机隔夜护垫，水瓶，会阴冰袋，怀孕后的内裤和其他有助于舒缓身心的护理产品。 Mombox还提供剖腹产盒和Deluxe Mombox。
目前，Mombox是一次性套件，Westervelt表示，绝大多数套件都是作为礼物购买的，但该公司计划开发该产品，其中包括套件订阅，内容以及将新妈妈与母亲联系起来的平台。产后第一年可能需要的护理提供者。 Westervelt称它为24/7口袋礼宾服务，可以让新妈妈问问题并与哺乳期顾问，骨盆底理疗师，婚姻治疗师或他们第一年可能需要的其他人建立联系。
韦斯特维尔特说：“由男性主导的医学和孕产妇保健界创造的神话是，产后恢复时间为六到八周。” “事实是，人体经历着一个类似于青春期的衰老过程，该过程中人体，荷尔蒙和身份不断变化，并且这个过程至少持续了12个月。”
她接着说，分娩后通常只需要接受医生的一次检查，然后，妈妈就自己一个人。 Mombox的目标是在母亲出生的头12个月内与母亲在一起，并最终根据每个母亲的旅程（无论是母乳喂养或奶瓶，全职在家还是工作的妈妈等）来个性化Mombox体验
韦斯特维尔特说：“最大的挑战是，叙事始终是把孩子的照顾放在首位。” “母亲愿意牺牲自己的健康牺牲自己的身体来照顾这个婴儿。”面临的挑战是要告诉妈妈他们是核心。如果他们还好，那么他们的孩子们就很好。”
Westervelt最初担任Wayfair的《生活》编辑，然后担任Purple Carrot的Content Strategy主管，直到现在（也是唯一的雇员）才将Mombox推向高潮。到目前为止，Mombox在营销上的支出为0美元，自成立以来就一直以口碑相传的方式同比增长了100％的收入。
新的资金将用于雇用一个团队并测试新的营销策略以推动进一步的增长，并最终建立Westervelt设想的全方位服务平台。
Just last week, General Catalyst’s Peter Boyce explained how one of the most important things he looks for in a founder is a personal connection to the problem they’re solving. Kate Westervelt is one such founder.
Westervelt founded Mombox, a curated kit of postnatal care products focused squarely on the mom rather than the child. The company recently closed a $500,000 angel round led by Wayfund and TBD Angels, as well as high-net-worth individuals from organizations like Facebook, Amazon, Uber and Drizly.
Westervelt first came up with the idea for Mombox after having her first child and quickly learning that there were several products she’d need to help her body heal that were difficult to find, especially with a newborn on her hip.
The standard Mombox includes organic overnight pads, a peri bottle, perineal ice pack, post-pregnancy panties and other care products to help soothe the body and mind. Mombox also offers a C-section box and a Deluxe Mombox.
For now, the Mombox is a one-time kit — Westervelt said the vast majority of kits are purchased as gifts — but the company has plans to build out the product to include a kit subscription, content and a platform to connect new moms with the care providers they may need during the first year of motherhood. Westervelt calls it a 24/7 pocket concierge, which would allow new mothers to ask questions and get connected with lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, marital therapists or whomever else they might need during their first year.
“The myth here, created by a male-dominated medical and maternal wellness community, is that postpartum recovery is six to eight weeks long,” said Westervelt. “The truth is that the body goes through a process known as matrescence, similar to adolescence, where the body and hormones and identity is changing, and that process lasts at least 12 months.”
She went on to say that there is usually just one check-up with a doctor after giving birth and after that, the mom is on her own. Mombox aims to stay with mom for the first 12 months of motherhood and eventually personalize the Mombox experience based on each mom’s journey, whether its breastfeeding or bottle, stay-at-home or working mom, etc.
“The greatest challenge is that the narrative has always been to put the child’s care first,” said Westervelt. “Mothers are willing to martyr themselves for the care of this infant at the expense of their own wellbeing. The challenge is to teach moms that they’re the nucleus. If they’re ok, their babies are ok.”
Westervelt bootstrapped Mombox up until this point (and is the only employee) after first serving as managing Lifestyle editor at Wayfair and then as director of Content Strategy at Purple Carrot. Mombox has spent $0 on marketing up until this point, growing revenue 100% year-over-year since inception on word of mouth.
The new funding will go toward hiring out a team and testing out new marketing strategies to fuel further growth and eventually build out the full-service platform Westervelt envisions.
