New funding: PairTree, a platform facilitating adoptions, has raised a $2.25 million seed round. The site went live in July and more than 1,600 families hoping to adopt and 300 biological moms have registered on the platform.
PairTree is open to users nationwide and has facilitated 10 matches so far, including gay, lesbian, heterosexual, bi-racial and single-parent families. The startup participated in Techstars Seattle earlier this year.
Different route for adoption: People seeking to adopt a child have two main options: agencies that connect families with expectant mothers, which can cost $40,000 to $60,000 and take two years to arrange the adoption of an infant; or use the internet for a self-match adoption, which puts families at risk of being scammed.
Seattle’s PairTree operates something like a dating platform. Families pay a $75 monthly fee and post a profile, and expectant mothers use the tool for free to find a match. The site includes a proprietary personality test to help expectant moms select families based on their interests and passions, and uses identity verification software to screen out scammers.
The platform does not provide the legal services required by adoptions, or conduct screening of adopting families. Using PairTree can lower adoption costs to around $15,000, according to the company.
Co-founders: CEO Erin Quick launched the company following her own challenges to have children; she’s now mom to an adopted son and daughter. Quick was previously co-founder of a Seattle-based brand marketing firm.
Chief Technology Officer Justin Friberg is a startup veteran and former CTO of Seattle software company Record360.
The company has three employees and is hiring.
Funding source: The round was led by Urban Innovation Fund, with Founder Collective, Female Founders Alliance and Techstars as the other major participants. The funding will be used to improve the platform, create an app, and build partnerships with healthcare organizations and reproductive clinics.
