On-demand, app-enabled childcare platform Brella has raised $5 million in a series seed round.
The round, led by Toba Capital and Halogen Ventures, brings the company's total funding to $8 million.
The Playa Vista, California-based startup said it will use the funds to expand its offerings with new locations, continue to develop proprietary technology, and source teachers and pay them more than the industry average.
Melanie Wolff, co-CEO and co-founder, said Brella’s custom app gives parents complete control over their childcare schedules, accounts and payments.
“Parents now have a high-quality child and education option that truly responds to their individual family’s needs,” she said.
Wolff and co-founder Darien Williams said they created Brella to cater to the next generation of working parents after experiencing first-hand with their own kids that traditional childcare caters to an often unrealistic 9-to-5 work schedule.
“Our vision is to transform childcare from a pain point to a culture of support, and to alleviate the common feeling among young families that they are set up to fail,” Williams said. “We’re also dedicated to creating a more valued career path for early educators. In order for childcare to work, it has to truly serve all three of its constituents — children, parents, and educators.”
Parents choose from among three different plans with varying levels of commitment, and are able to use the Brella App to determine their child’s schedule, day to day, week by week — giving families more flexibility.
Brella launched in Playa Vista in 2019 and plans to open a second location in Hollywood this year, and to expand to multiple sites across Los Angeles.
