smallTalk
smallTalk provides the NICU Egg™ system, a hospital-grade speaker that safely plays parent-recorded audio for infants during NICU stays. The system includes a companion app for creating recordings and patented algorithms that automatically control volume and duration based on each infant's postmenstrual age and environment. The Egg is designed for medically stable infants 28 weeks postmenstrual age and older.
- Healthcare Technology
- Medical Devices
- Hardware
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
NICU stays significantly reduce infants' exposure to caregiver voice, which is a basic neural building block critical for communication and overall brain development. Traditional care environments lack a safe, scalable way to deliver consistent language exposure to medically fragile infants.
Solution
smallTalk provides the NICU Egg™ system, a hospital-grade speaker that safely plays parent-recorded audio for babies during NICU stays. Parents create recordings through a companion app and transfer them to the Egg speaker, which the care team then plays according to an individualized plan. The speaker is completely sealed, made with medical-grade plastics, and easily cleaned with common products to meet NICU infection control requirements. Patented algorithms and hardware automatically control volume and duration of play based on each infant's postmenstrual age and environment (isolette or open crib), ensuring playback is always NICU-safe.
Target Audience
Primary customers are NICU care teams and hospital organizations seeking to implement neurodevelopmental care programs, along with parents of premature infants who want to maintain a connection with their baby during hospitalization.
Features
- Completely sealed, medical-grade plastic speaker designed specifically for NICU infection control protocols
- Patented algorithms that automatically control volume and duration based on postmenstrual age and crib type
- NICU Parent Companion App for creating recordings, compiling playlists, and transferring files to the Egg speaker
- Evidence-based playback protocols recommending one or two play sessions per shift during wakeful times
- Designed for medically stable infants 28 weeks postmenstrual age and older
- Enterprise tier includes a Hospital Companion App for staff to manage parent accounts and recordings on a HIPAA-compliant system