Happiest Baby Secures $23 Million Series B Funding to Advance SNOO Smart Sleeper in Infant Care Market

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Happiest Baby, a manufacturer of smart bassinets, secured $23 million in Series B financing today (December 12). The round was led by Greycroft Partners, with participation from Sallfort Bank and GV.

Happiest Baby was founded in 2001 by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp and his wife and business partner, Nina Montée-Karp, and is headquartered in Los Angeles. Dr. Karp is the author of books and videos such as *The Happiest Baby on the Block*, *The Happiest Toddler on the Block*, and *The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep: Birth to Five Years*, which have been translated into more than 20 languages.

Previously, Happiest Baby raised $10 million in 2015, a round co-led by Lux Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Obvious Ventures, with celebrity investors including Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson, and Zoe Saldana participating as follow-on investors.

Happiest Baby’s flagship product is the SNOO Smart Sleeper, an intelligent infant bassinet launched by the company in 2016. Co-designed by renowned industrial designer Yves Béhar and a team of experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it has been hailed as “the safest bassinet ever created.”

Image source: Happiest Baby official website

SNOO employs 5S soothing technology, designed to lull infants to sleep using the “constant, womb-like” rhythms (low-pitched sounds and gentle rocking) they were accustomed to before birth. When it “hears” a baby crying, it automatically responds by gradually intensifying white noise and motion to soothe distress, helping extend the infant’s sleep duration by 1–2 hours. The company states that, unless the infant is hungry or uncomfortable, SNOO can typically calm a baby within one minute.

Happiest Baby also states that SNOO’s rhythmic motions reduce the frequency of nighttime awakenings, help infants learn to self-soothe, and promote healthy sleep habits. The accompanying swaddle prevents infants from rolling over, ensuring back-sleeping safety in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that infants be placed exclusively on their backs for the first six months.

The company stated, “SNOO is a virtual caregiver that is transforming modern parenting. During the first six months after birth, SNOO soothes infants around the clock (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) by providing ‘an extra pair of hands’ and promotes infant sleep when needed.”

Image source: Happiest Baby official website

The SNOO mobile app automatically records the infant’s sleep patterns. Users can also adjust SNOO’s movements, sounds, and cry sensitivity via the app, and even set preterm/newborn mode and weaning mode to help the baby transition smoothly to a crib.

In 2018, Happiest Baby launched its second product, Sleepea, an infant sleep sack made from organic cotton. The company stated that the sleep sack features breathable mesh to reduce the risk of overheating and help infants remain comfortable. Its anti-roll swaddle design ensures it does not come undone automatically or cause clothing around the infant’s face to loosen.

Greycroft Partners, established in February 2006 and headquartered in Los Angeles, is a leading venture capital firm focused on the internet and mobile markets.

GV (Google Ventures) was founded in March 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco. In 2009, GV was launched as Google Ventures, the venture capital arm of Alphabet.

To date, GV has invested in more than 300 companies, primarily focusing on life sciences, healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, cybersecurity, and agriculture. The investment firm’s vision is to help these companies connect with Google and provide them with technological and talent support.

Lux Capital, founded in 2000 and headquartered in New York, USA, is a research-oriented venture capital firm specializing in the physical and life sciences. It primarily provides early-stage venture funding, has invested in more than 20 companies, and manages $1.4 billion in assets.

Felicis Ventures, established in October 2006, focuses its investments on early-stage startups, late-stage growth, and seed rounds.

The company is a boutique venture capital firm that primarily supports iconic companies in reshaping existing markets and creating cutting-edge technologies.

Obvious Ventures, founded in 2014 and headquartered in California, positions itself as a product designer and company builder, helping startups achieve profitability and growth. The firm’s investment focus is on early-stage ventures and seed rounds.