screenshot of Lulo app for mobile

Lulo

Transforming how families navigate WIC benefits

Background

WIC's confusing rules discourage participation

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) provides nutrition assistance to pregnant people and families with children under five—but using these benefits can be arduous.

Unlike SNAP, WIC gives recipients a specific list of approved items with complex eligibility rules that change constantly. The only "help" most states provide is a several-hundred-page PDF and a basic scanner that doesn't account for individual benefit packages. This frustrating process leads to 76% of eligible families dropping out by their child's fourth birthday.

By the Numbers

A system that leaves families behind

For those that stay enrolled, 40% of benefits go unredeemed for those who stay enrolled. Overall, this results in $1.6 billion worth of food left unredeemed each year. Families feel ashamed, frustrated, and give up on help they desperately need.

Our Mission

Making WIC work for families

  • Priority 1: Stop the enrollment hemorrhaging by making shopping faster and easier
  • Priority 2: Maximize benefit redemption so WIC actually empowers families
six green rectangles with UX research insights

Research

Shopping with real families

We didn't design from assumptions. We went grocery shopping with WIC participants, hosted co-design sessions, conducted focus groups, and ran 1:1 interviews throughout our process. Through early iterations, including a pre-assembled bundle pickup service, shopping advocates, and a smart list, we learned what families actually needed: a tool that understood their specific benefits and made shopping straightforward.

Solution

Introducing Lulo

We built the first WIC app that connects to individual benefit accounts and provides real-time, personalized guidance.
three screenshots of the Lulo mobile app

Connect your benefits 01

Link your WIC card to see your exact balance for each food category. No more paper PDFs or guesswork.

  • 15K monthly active users
  • 40K+ downloads

Smart Scanner 02

Our scanner is the first to solve both major pain points: confirms items are WIC-approved for your specific package, and whether you have enough balance to redeem it. This eliminates checkout surprises and maximizes redemption

  • 27 min saved per shopping trip
  • +12% benefits redemption

Discover 03

Browse approved products by state with photos, find WIC-approved recipes, and discover local family resources.

  • 5.0 stars in the App Store