AfroLA reported public criticism of Loula's 17% standard fee and broader concerns that billing complexity and plan contracting gaps place pressure on doulas and ASO-style intermediaries.
SourceEnabling birth & postpartum doulas to easily accept insurance.
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Loula is a California-focused perinatal health platform and provider network that helps families access insurance-covered doula care and helps independent doulas credential, bill, and get paid through health plans. Public sources conflict on origin timing: current company pages describe Loula as founded in 2024, while YC archives trace an earlier 2022 Onu origin.
Primary product
Insurance-covered doula care platform and provider network
Founded
2024
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Team size
1-10 employees
Work style
Flexible
Industry
Hospitals and Health Care
Sub-industry
Perinatal health / doula insurance platform
0 jobs at Loula
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Offices
Business model
Stage
pre-seed
Total raised
$500K
Latest round
Pre-Seed · Apr 2023
Latest amount
$500K
Apr 2023 · Y Combinator
Leadership
Founder & CEO
Chine Ikoro
Co-Founder
Founding User Researcher
Founding Sales Representative
Mission-driven, Black-owned, women-led, and health-equity oriented, with a strong provider-support and community-care focus.
Work style
Flexible
Visa sponsorship
Limited
Compensation
Public job posts show roughly $60K-$200K base ranges depending on role, with equity and in some cases commissions, bonuses, and sign-on bonuses. Benefits publicly listed include unlimited PTO, medical/dental/vision coverage, FSA/HSA options, disability and life insurance, and wellness perks such as One Medical, Talkiatry, Peloton, and Kindbody. Several postings note U.S. work authorization / visa-only eligibility rather than explicit sponsorship.
Benefits
Pricing
Public sources indicate a fee-based model tied to claims/visits; Loula says the fee only kicks in when doulas start submitting visits, and reporting in AfroLA cites a standard 17% fee.
Differentiators
Technology
Customers
Competitors
AfroLA reported public criticism of Loula's 17% standard fee and broader concerns that billing complexity and plan contracting gaps place pressure on doulas and ASO-style intermediaries.
SourceAfroLA · Jun 2026
Explains how Loula helps California doulas with Medi-Cal billing and administrative work, discusses its 17% standard fee, and notes planned expansion beyond California.
Loula (YC W23) LinkedIn · Mar 2026
Company update says Loula had surpassed 400+ doulas, 1,700+ families supported, and 11,300+ visits performed.
Loula (YC W23) LinkedIn · Mar 2026
Company post describing Loula as California's leading doula provider network and software platform and noting ongoing growth in partnerships and infrastructure.
People of Color in Tech · Jul 2025
Reports Loula's public launch, its insurance-billing and credentialing platform for doulas, and early scale metrics including 135 doulas, 400 families, and 2,000+ visits.