Business Insider cites Sensor Tower data of more than 35,000 downloads and reports that Soula has raised over $750,000.
On October 23, 2024, Helen Li of Business Insider published a feature on Soula and its built-in chatbot, Dua. Business Insider calls Soula a fem-tech app and says Natallia Miranchuk and Andrei Kulik co-founded it.
Miranchuk and Kulik Conceptualized a 24/7 AI Doula
Business Insider writes that Miranchuk and Kulik conceptualized a 24/7 AI doula to close the gap in mental health support for mothers during pregnancy and postpartum. The article says apps such as Soula aim to increase access to maternal healthcare without replacing medical providers.
According to data Business Insider obtained from Sensor Tower, Soula has more than 35,000 downloads. The startup has raised over $750,000. Investors include Andrey Mikhaylyuk, the former vice president of product at Flo Health.
Miranchuk told Business Insider that her experience as a single mother of two and her work as a former maternity photographer inspired the app. It began as a hub to connect doulas worldwide with women in need. The generative AI boom then moved the focus to a chatbot.
A Louisiana Mother Says Dua Helped Reduce Her Depressive Symptoms
LeRonika Francis, who lives in New Iberia, Louisiana, started using Soula's chatbot during her most recent pregnancy. She told Business Insider it helped reduce depressive symptoms and reassured her about her mental health. After her first postpartum period, she had sought the help of a counselor.
"It tells me: 'Welcome back, LeRonika. Your reactions are natural,'"
Dua sent her videos, including one about self-hugging, a practice the article says could reduce stress levels.
Doulas Helped Train the Chatbot
Business Insider reports that Soula enlisted real-life doulas to train Dua and set its tone. Lexi Pacheco, a doula from Arizona, helped refine the dialogue. She said:
"We can't create it to be as personable as talking to a real-life person, but we can try to create that as much as possible."
The article adds that the app is not meant to replace a doula completely. Pacheco said:
"AI isn't like a healthcare provider to give you guidance, but it's supposed to be there to give you a little bit more comfort."
Why Mothers Hold Back Questions
Miranchuk explained to Business Insider why mothers hold back questions:
"Women are shy to ask questions, even in the community, because they have the feeling that maybe 'as a mom, I should have known that, but I don't.' And she doesn't know where to go,"
Two Experts Warn About Access and Dropout Rates
Business Insider quotes two experts with cautions. Corenia Smith of the Birth Justice Collaborative in Minnesota said that tools like chatbots can broaden access, but that AI should avoid a "one size fits all" approach and reflect the communities it serves. Johannes Eichstaedt, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University, said retention rates of AI healthcare chatbots can be low and called high dropout rates for healthcare apps "an elephant in the room."
About Soula
Business Insider calls Soula a fem-tech app with a built-in AI chatbot, Dua, that aims to function like a doula for women during pregnancy and postpartum. It says Natallia Miranchuk and Andrei Kulik co-founded it.
Media contact: n.miranchuk@soula.care · soula.care
Sources
- Helen Li, The AI app Soula seeks to improve healthcare access for pregnant women, Business Insider, October 23, 2024.