Redwood City, California-based smartphone-connected breast pump startup Naya Health has received FDA clearance for its first pump system.

Naya Health's device is called The Smart Pump, and it uses a hydraulic system instead of air to collect breastmilk. As a result, the pump is more comfortable and quieter, according to the company. 

Some data from the system, including how often a mother pumps, is sent to a companion smartphone app, called Naya Health Tracker. The app also allows users to track pumping sessions, record their child’s feedings, and manage breastmilk inventory by telling users which milk in their fridge needs to be used first. The company is developing an Apple Watch app as well.



Naya has planned on selling the device at $599 and was expecting to ship in the fall.

In April the startup raised $4 million in seed funding from Tandem Capital, S-Cubed Capital, NewGen Partners, Astia Angels, and Stanford’s StartX.

Janica Alvarez, Naya Health’s CEO and founder, first got the idea to develop a breast pump after she became a mother.

“Like most moms, I didn’t think about breast pumps until I needed one,” Alvarez explained in a blog post. “I had just returned to work following the birth of my first child seven years ago, eager as ever but worried about doing my best at my job while also thinking incessantly about my child’s wellbeing. I quickly discovered that pumping would be one of the most challenging aspects of being a new mom and that challenge would not become any easier with the subsequent births of my two other children.”

At the time of its funding announcement, Naya Health also said it was working on another device, a smart bottle, which will track how much milk a baby consumes.