Jennifer Weil of WWD reports the investment, the company's funding figures, and what Natallia Miranchuk says Soula is for.
On March 9, 2023, Jennifer Weil of WWD reported that model, philanthropist, and tech investor Natalia Vodianova is backing Soula, an AI-based mobile app that helps pregnant women and parents. Natallia Miranchuk founded the company. Yahoo ran the same article that day, and CBN Cyprus covered the investment on March 20, 2023.
WWD Gives $450,000 Raised and a $2 Million January Valuation
WWD says the financial terms were not disclosed. It describes Soula as Cyprus-based and says the company has raised $450,000. A press statement, WWD adds, reports 20-times valuation growth in seven months and a $2 million valuation in January.
CBN Cyprus gives the same two figures, $450K raised and 20x valuation growth in seven months, and calls Soula a Cypriot-based startup.
Soula Combines AI With Knowledge From Doulas, Midwives and Doctors
WWD says Soula was created to help people reach curated information on pregnancy, birth and the postpartum phase. It combines AI technology with knowledge from doulas, midwives and doctors to give personalized support. The app has a chatbot and a content library. CBN Cyprus says Soula uses AI technology and expertise from doulas, midwives and doctors as well.
Miranchuk Says She Spent 15 Years on Pregnancy and Motherhood Projects
WWD quotes Miranchuk, CEO of Soula, from a company statement. She said:
“I’ve spent 15 years dedicated to creating social projects focused on pregnancy and motherhood.”
She added:
“Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with more than a quarter-million women. Soula is an app that empowers every woman to embrace the best mother within herself.”
Her statement then turns to what the app offers:
“With trusted information and round-the-clock support, we’re here to enhance satisfaction, reduce postpartum depression and family discord, and foster stronger relationships.”
CBN credits the 15-year and quarter-million-women remarks to an interview with the tech website wired.me. WWD attributes the same words to a company statement.
Vodianova Says Soula Is Committed to Helping Women Build a New Identity
WWD attributes this line to Vodianova:
“At Soula, we believe that the birth of a baby is the birth of a mother, and we are committed to helping women around the world create their new identity with confidence, peace and happiness during this transformative journey.”
CBN Cyprus prints the same closing sentence as Vodianova's, with a comma in "peace, and happiness".
CBN adds that Soula was presented at the WE Convention in Dubai, which it describes as a gathering of prominent female leaders from around the globe, and names Miranchuk as CEO and Founder of Soula. Vodianova picked Soula, CBN says, as an app she would use herself as a mother and invest in as an impact investor. CBN quotes her:
“I can speak from personal experience about the often unspoken challenges that mothers face – including a lack of psychological support, insecurity, vulnerability, feelings of inferiority, and fear.”
WWD Lists Vodianova's Earlier Tech Investments and Advocacy
WWD notes that Vodianova has backed Flo period tracker, PicsArt, Prisma Labs and Re-Face. Her first tech investment was Elbi, an app that turned social media "likes" into $1 charitable donations. She is a goodwill ambassador at UNFPA, the United Nations agency focused on sexual and reproductive health, and WWD calls her a longstanding activist on period poverty and female health.
About Soula
Soula is a Cyprus-based, AI-based mobile app created to help pregnant women and parents, according to WWD. It combines AI technology with knowledge from doulas, midwives, and doctors, and includes a chatbot and a content library.
Media contact: n.miranchuk@soula.care · soula.care
Sources
- Jennifer Weil, Natalia Vodianova Invests in AI-based App for Pregnant Women, Parenthood, WWD, March 9, 2023.
- Jennifer Weil, Natalia Vodianova Invests in AI-based App for Pregnant Women, Parenthood (reprint), Yahoo Lifestyle, March 9, 2023.
- Supermodel Natalia Vodianova invests in Cypriot start-up, CBN Cyprus, March 20, 2023 (updated March 24, 2023; no author shown). Also reachable at https://www.cbn.com.cy/article/2023/3/20/702695/supermodel-natalia-vodianova-invests-in-cypriot-start-up, which redirects to the same page.
- Also available at: Head Topics, an aggregator page that shows an excerpt of the WWD article (March 10, 2023).
- Also available at: Flipboard, an aggregator page that shows the WWD headline and opening lines, credited to WWD and Jennifer Weil.