Parenting in 2025 isn’t just sleepless nights & diaper math, it’s managing chaos with no user manual. Between emotional overload, financial strain & the 2,000 Google searches new parents make in year one, it’s a wonder anyone stays sane. That’s where Joy steps in. Founded in 2021 by Alan Charming Chan, Emily Greenberg & Charlie Carpenter, this Oakland-based startup isn’t selling another app, it’s selling peace of mind. A parenting tech platform built to turn overwhelm into order, powered by real experts & AI that actually gets it.
Alan Charming Chan, Joy’s CEO, already proved he can build & exit; his last startup Bread sold to Yahoo in 2013. Emily Greenberg, Co-Founder & Chief Parenting Officer, brings 13+ yrs of experience shaping education & parenting products at Lovevery, Wonderschool, AltSchool & Higher Ground Education. And Charlie Carpenter, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, spent 20+ yrs designing mobile platforms from Ocean Labs to Kite.ly to Bounty Media. Together, they’re turning parenting into something more navigable, and maybe even enjoyable.
Joy just closed a $14M Series A, co-led by Forerunner & Raga Partners, with backing from Magnify Ventures, Ingeborg Investments, Shazi Visram, Rogue Venture Partners & Next Legacy Partners. That brings total funding to $24M, a serious vote of confidence in a sector that’s heating up fast. Eurie Kim of Forerunner, who joined Joy’s board after the seed round, doesn’t miss on consumer revolutions. She just found her next one.
The company’s flagship product, Joy On Call, launched in early 2024, 24/7 SMS access to certified experts: sleep consultants, IBCLCs, behavioral specialists, parent coaches & more. Then came the real flex, AI-powered expert personas trained on vetted data & real human conversations. Parents can chat with AI or connect with a human anytime. It’s not replacing empathy; it’s scaling it.
This $14M infusion fuels Joy’s next chapter, expanding its AI parenting platform, growing the expert network, deepening brand integrations through Joy Shop & scaling services beyond toddlers into every stage of childhood. With partnerships like Bella Baby Photography introducing Joy to new families in hospitals, the reach is set to multiply.
The parenting app market, valued at $1.69B in 2024 & projected to hit $6.02B by 2035 (12% CAGR), is ready for a platform that speaks parent, not platform. Joy isn’t chasing trends; it’s chasing sanity.
