FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CHILD CARE PLATFORM, BRELLA, ANNOUNCES $5M SEED ROUND

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brella, the first on-demand, app-enabled child care model designed with families' needs in mind, announced today the news of its $5 Million series seed round. Founded in 2019, Brella is on a mission to reinvent the child care industry by challenging the status quo and offering high quality, flexible full-service care to meet the dynamic demands of modern life. This funding round, led by Toba Capital and Halogen Ventures, brings the company's total funding to $8 million to date.

Brella's latest investors join the fast-growing brand on its mission to reimagine the paradigm of child care in America by offering a family-first, customizable option designed to give families a flexible support system, or as Brella calls it, their "village." The new funding round will further support Brella's mission by allowing the company to expand their offerings with new locations, continue to develop their proprietary technology, source exceptional teachers that are paid nearly twice as much as the industry average, and provide advancements in the often-ignored child care industry by curating Brella's service to the ever-changing needs of every family.

"As a new first-time parent, the challenges of raising, educating, and caring for children are at the forefront of my mind," said Patrick Mathieson, Partner, Toba Capital. "At Toba we don't want to solve small problems, we want to back the most ambitious founders who are solving the most complicated and important problems of our time. I have no doubt that Melanie and Darien will build a business that serves and enriches millions of families across America and beyond."

Brella's unique platform was created on the ethos of flexibility. After Brella co-founders Darien Williams and Melanie Wolff experienced the child care system first-hand with their own kids, they quickly realized that the format of present day services weren't aimed at servicing the needs of the whole family. Today's childcare caters to a traditional, and often unrealistic, 9-5 work schedule and service model that seems as if they were designed to set parents up for failure. Williams and Wolff created Brella to cater to the next generation of working parents.

"Our vision is to transform child care from a paint point to a culture of support, and to alleviate the common feeling among young families that they are set up to fail," said Darien Williams, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Brella. "We're also dedicated to creating a more valued career path for early educators. In order for child care to work, it has to truly serve all three of its constituents - children, parents, and educators."

Brella's business model offers families a first-of-its-kind solution to take on balancing child care and the realities of being a busy parent. From full-time care to last minute needs and everything in between, Brella's plans are 100% flexible to account for whatever type of child care is needed. Parents can pick between three different plans with varying levels of commitment, and are able to use the innovative, newly relaunched Brella App to determine their child's schedule, day to day, week by week — giving families the flexibility that isn't available with any other child care service in the area.

"Brella brings child care online with a custom app that gives parents complete control over their child care schedules, accounts, and payments," said Melanie Wolff, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Brella. "Parents now have a high-quality child care and education option that truly responds to their individual family's needs."

Currently located in Playa Vista and with a second location opening in Hollywood early this year, Brella is servicing the Los Angeles community by providing ease for parents and an enjoyable, educational experience for children. With Brella's flexible models, the cost of each plan varies, but pricing starts as low as $13/hr for full-time enrollment. For more information please visit https://www.hellobrella.com or download the Brella app.

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About Brella

Brella is a new model of app-enabled child care center that offers full-time, flexible, and on-demand infant care and preschool, along with parent education classes and family events. Brella's flexible model, innovative curriculum and beautifully designed environments are creating a new industry paradigm. Brella launched in Playa Vista in 2019 and, after closing a Series Seed fundraise this year, is expanding to multiple sites across Los Angeles.

SOURCE Brella