Hatch Baby's Bringing Tech to the Changing Table

Created by Ann Crady Weiss and Dave Weiss, Hatch Baby heads to Shark Tank this week and if you want a quick way to understand it, think of it as something akin to a FitBit for infants. It's a diaper changing pad with a twist. In addition to its usual function, Hatch Baby also weighs the baby and tracks the changes using an app on your smartphone. That way, you can compare your baby's weight with the World Health Organization's milestones, as well as with other babies on the app.

It may sound like a bit of a strange invention to anyone who doesn't have kids, but many parents worry that their child isn't gaining weight fast enough, so Hatch Baby can actually help limit frantic calls to the pediatrician — plus, it also has functions that help you track sleep and food intake (and, well, outtake), which can also be useful when it comes to check-ups.

The innovative Smart Changing Table, which is already available in four different colors on the Hatch Baby website for $199 (marked down from $299), has already built up quite the head of steam. Weiss and Crady Weiss managed to raise a whopping $7 million in preliminary investments, according to CNBC, so it'll be interesting to see if the Sharks share Hatch Baby's previous investors' enthusiasm. Plus, this isn't Crady Weiss' first rodeo — she formerly founded (and eventually sold) Maya's Mom, a popular social networking site for new mothers — so she's coming into the Shark Tank armed with some life experience and tried-and-true business savvy.

Smart Changing Pad in Sky Blue, $199, hatchbaby.com

On that note, Crady Weiss had some thought-provoking things to say about the largely male-dominated field of investors in an interview with Forbes. "I definitely am aware of my gender and that most places I pitch do not have female investors," she said. "It’s obvious when you’re a woman pitching to a room full of guys." Luckily, Lori Greiner will be on Shark Tank this week, so Crady Weiss won't be exclusively pitching to men this time around. Of course, any of the Sharks could end up giving Hatch Baby a deal, so we'll have to wait and see if any are on board with this smart changing table.

Images: Adam Rose/ABC