Willow invented the wearable breast pump. Now it wants to dominate the breastfeeding market

When my first daughter was born in 2015, there weren’t many options when it came to breast pumps. The hospital sent me home with a device made by Medela—the industry leader—involving lots of tubes, funnel-shaped breast shields, and a loud motor that was attached to an electrical outlet. Bonding with other new moms often involved complaining about how awful pumping was. By the time my second daughter was born in 2022, a newfangled device had hit the market: a wearable breast pump that you could slip into your bra to express quietly. This allowed me to pump while making dinner or taking a phone call. Given that new moms can spend up to three hours a day pumping, the new device was transformative. [Photo: Willow] Willow, which debuted its wearable pump in 2017, now wants to be much more than gadget maker. Last year, it purchased Elvie, one of its biggest rivals, which launched in 2018. And on Tuesday, it announced its intention to go way beyond the sphere of devices. It has just acquired Swehl, a breastfeeding education and community platform, and Momtech, the maker of Mõmi bottles, whose nipples are designed to mimic breastfeeding. The goal, says Willow CEO Carolin Archibald, is “to become a powerhouse maternal care brand.” Archibald took on the top job this month after 18 years in the industry, including prior leadership roles at Medela and Ameda, two incumbent brands that have been entrenched in hospitals for decades. [Photo: Willow] The Evolution of the Pump Inventors have been trying to solve the breastfeeding problem for nearly two centuries. The first breast pump patent in the U.S. was filed in 1854, but for decades, pumps were mostly large hospital machines designed to help postpartum mothers who could not breast feed for whatever reason. Then in 1991, Medela introduced an electric pump designed for home use. The device was transformative; it meant women could breastfeed for longer, even when they had to go to an office or be away from their baby. A major turning point came in 2012 when the Affordable Care Act required new insurance plans to cover breast pumps at no cost to patients, according to Archibald. “It opened up a breast pump for every mom who was pregnant,” she says. The data shows that pumping started to become more routine. That policy paved the way for Willow and Elvie, which unveiled its in-bra pumps 20 months apart in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They both featured a smooth, teardrop-shaped device that had no external cord, tubes, or bottles. Milk went straight into a spill-proof bag. “Mothers were no longer tethered to a cord or the wall,” Archibald says. “It was just so much more freedom.” Five years ago, she notes—around the time I had my second child—wearable breast pumps made up a tiny sliver of the market. Today, half of moms choose them when they’re given the option through their insurance or when purchasing them retail. “Wearables are what is causing the overall breast pump market to grow,” Archibald says. The one-product problem But Archibald says that Willow was limited because it offered just one product. “It’s difficult to really have a sustainable, long-term future when you’re only selling this one device,” she says. For one thing, it makes Willow vulnerable to competition. Willow’s first move was to acquire its biggest rival, and between them, these companies own a wide range of patents for wearable breast pumps. Elvie, which is based in the U.K., also gave Willow international reach and brought with it a line of products designed to help strengthen a woman’s pelvic floor. But there are now many cheaper wearable breast pumps on the market, including Momcozy, a Chinese brand located in Shenzhen. Some of these companies own their factories, which allows them to sell their products much more cheaply. This has also led to patent wars. In August, Willow asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to block imports of pumps that it says infringe on its patents, and the agency opened an investigation involving companies in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the U.S. But the fight cuts both ways. This year, a federal patent board sided with Momcozy’s manufacturer, Shenzhen Root Innovation Technology Co., and invalidated claims in a Willow-held patent. [Photo: Willow] The Broader Breastfeeding Journey While Willow tries to defend its turf, it’s also focused on offering more products to sell to mothers who are going through the breastfeeding journey. In the breast pump industry, companies engage with customers for a year or two while they’re breastfeeding, then they move on. Willow wants to provide more products and services to these women during this short window. To execute this strategy, it has acquired Swehl, which was founded by two moms in 2023 with a $1.1 million pre-seed round. The company offers access to lactation experts, products like latch kits and nipple care, and a library of more than 80 breastfeeding videos. It also offers small-group “Talk Circles” to connect parents at similar stages. Swehl shot into the public eye when it ran a Times Square ad featuring chef Molly Baz holding lactation cookies over her bra with the tagline, “Just add milk.” The billboard’s owner, Clear Channel, later pulled the ad after deeming it inappropriate.This created an uproar, with many people describing it as unnecessary censorship. Now Swehl’s platform will anchor a new education and community hub called Willow World. Willow has also acquired Momtech, which tackles the process of feeding pumped milk to the baby. Mõmi, Momtech’s flagship brand, makes bottles that have soft, silicone nipple tips that mimic how a baby consumes breast milk, which eases the dreaded nipple confusion. Mõmi has been sold mostly on its own website, but now Willow plans to make sure it has more widespread distribution. Over the longer term, however, demographic shifts may present a threat to the breastfeeding industry. In 2025, U.S. births fell to about 3.6 million, and the general fertility rate hit a record low, down nearly 23% since 2007. For now, Archibald isn’t concerned. The breast pump market is currently growing and, as a much smaller upstart, Willow can focus on taking market share from the much bigger incumbents. “Mothers are seeking solutions,” she says. “We look left and right, and we see opportunities.” But over time, if Willow grows, the demographic shifts will eventually catch up with the company. “Ask me in 15, 20 years,” she says. “By then, a shrinking pool of new mothers might be more of a real problem for us.”

Curated from Fast Company Co.Design. Classified as Culture & Education by AI, which sometimes makes mistakes.

Willow invented the wearable breast pump. Now it wants to dominate the breastfeeding market

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