Parento Raises $5.9M Seed II to Help Every Company Support Working Parents

Three-in-one parental leave platform utilizes insurance model to bring enterprise-level program to companies with as few as 10 employees

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Parento, the only provider of comprehensive paid parental leave (PPL) insurance with employee support services, today announced an oversubscribed Seed II funding round led by ResilienceVC. The round included participation from Kapor Capital, Bread & Butter Ventures, Operator Stack, Coyote Ventures, ffVC, Human Ventures, Springbank, Precursor, Cross Impact, K Street, Evidenced, and Avesta, and brings Parento's total amount raised to $10.3M.

The funding comes as demand for paid parental leave surges among employees and employers alike, yet small and mid-sized businesses face significant financial and administrative barriers to offering parental leave. Traditional approaches expose companies to volatile cash flows when multiple employees take leave simultaneously, while alternatives like short-term disability only cover limited demographics and income replacement, leaving nearly 3 in 4 private sector employees and more than half of all employees without access to PPL.

"Parenthood is not gendered, and paid parental leave is not just for Silicon Valley or STEM, but for every workplace interested in employee wellness, talent acquisition, and retention," said Dirk Doebler, Founder and CEO of Parento. "As demand grows and the definition of family evolves to match reality, there's a systemic need for a true solution. Parento makes paid parental leave affordable and attainable for every company, regardless of size or budget."

Parento's three-in-one approach combines customizable paid parental leave insurance with parental leave management services and personalized, human-based parent coaching. This comprehensive model delivers measurable results: 95% of Parento's parents return to work after leave, compared to just 60-65% for self-funded programs. Parento achieves 10% average engagement rates amongst all full-time employees with its one-on-one coaching services, significantly higher than typical Employee Assistance Programs which see at best 1% utilization. Furthermore, while just 5% of working men take more than two weeks off after the birth of their youngest child despite demonstrated relational and workplace benefits, 46% of claims were filed for males taking leave, with up to 33% of men utilizing 1-on-1 parent coaching services.

Unlike competitors that primarily offer consulting services on parental leave policy creation, Parento provides an actual insurance product with up to 100% financial coverage. This distinction has enabled the company to serve diverse industries often overlooked as desiring family-friendly policies—25% of Parento's clients operate in nonprofit or manufacturing/warehousing sectors that run on tight budgets with little to no HR personnel.

"Parento aligns exceptionally well with our thesis of investing in innovative companies that close gaps of access, opportunity, and outcomes for underserved communities by tackling a critical shortfall in the U.S. benefits system, especially for businesses that traditionally lack the resources to offer paid family leave," said Brandon Boros, Venture Partner with Kapor Capital. "Their model turns an unpredictable business expense into manageable monthly costs while delivering comprehensive support that helps companies attract and retain talented parents."

Parento will use the new capital to expand across product development, sales, and marketing teams while launching additional insurance offerings and new products. The funding announcement coincides with several key growth milestones, including a partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), one of the 20 largest unions in the nation, marking Parento's expansion into serving blue-collar workforces in non-paid family leave states. Parento's parents-first approach has also enabled it to expand internationally for the first time through its IUOE partnership, serving union members in Canada.

The company has also launched partnerships with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), including one of the largest in the country serving more than half a million clients. These partnerships enable Parento to reach small businesses through established distribution channels, furthering its mission to democratize parental leave access.

The round brings ResilienceVC to Parento's board, joining an all-female selection aside from Doebler. This composition reflects the company's focus on addressing workplace challenges that disproportionately impact women, while maintaining its gender-neutral and inclusive approach to parental leave that covers birth, adoption, and foster placement equally.

"We're thrilled to join Parento's board and support a company that's tackling one of the most critical workplace equity issues of our time," said Tahira Dosani, co-founder and managing partner at ResilienceVC. "Parento's inclusive approach to parental leave, combined with their proven ability to make these benefits accessible to businesses of all sizes, aligns perfectly with our mission to build financial resilience for all Americans. We're excited to support Parento to democratize parental leave access across industries and enable employees to maintain income stability."

Founded in 2019, Parento raised $10.3 million total and serves companies across professional services, healthcare, law firms, nonprofits, and municipal organizations.

About Parento: 
Parento helps every company support working parents through the only comprehensive paid parental leave insurance combined with expert leave management and personalized parent coaching. By converting unpredictable leave costs into predictable premiums, Parento makes parental leave benefits accessible to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide. For more information, visit https://www.parentoleave.com/.

SOURCE Parento