Fort Collins startup patents bra for wearable breast pumps

By Lori DeBoer | Originally Published in BizWest (May 2026)

FORT COLLINS — A Fort Collins startup is entering the maternity apparel market with a product designed to improve how wearable breast pumps fit and function. Burble LLC, founded by Rebecca Thompson, launched the Burble Bra in February.

The nursing bra, designed to hold wearable pumps securely in place, improves pumping efficiency and reduces time spent expressing milk.

Thompson, who works full time as a senior executive assistant in sales and marketing at New Belgium Brewing, developed the product after encountering issues with wearable pumps. She returned to work 12 weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Charlotte, and relied on pumping to maintain her milk supply while her child was in daycare.

"I went back to work pretty quick," Thompson said. "I really wanted to be able to supply my milk to her still, even though I was a working mom and working long hours."

She used wearable pumps, which slide into a bra and allow mobility during use, in contrast to traditional breast pumps that require users to remain connected to a stationary unit.

That said, she found that existing bras did not provide enough support to keep the devices in place.

"They would shift and slide, they would leak out the milk," she said, "I would think I would be pumping the whole time, and then I pull out a dry pump."

Thompson said she began modifying bras herself, sewing clips onto the lower band to hold the pumps more tightly against the body.

The concept evolved into the Burble Bra's defining feature: an under-band clip system designed to improve suction by maintaining a consistent seal.

"You need to have a really good seal," she said. "That's what's going to help you get the best milk efficiency."

According to Thompson, testing and user feedback indicate that the design can improve pumping efficiency by 11% to 14%. In her own experience, she said the improvement translated into meaningful time savings.

"I saved 30 minutes a day myself when I was pumping with it clipped," she said, noting that she was pumping eight times a day.

The bra also functions like a regular maternity bra, so the top can be unclipped to breastfeed. Its wire-free construction helps prevent clogged ducts.

Burble LLC received a U.S. utility patent for the design after a three-year application process. The bra retails for $59 and is available through the company's website, Amazon and TikTok.

The company is in its earliest stage of operations. Thompson said Burble has completed an initial production run of 2,000 units, manufactured overseas through a supply chain managed by a business partner. The company has not taken on outside investment, and operations, including fulfillment, are being handled internally.

The company is selling the Burble Bra directly to consumers, while exploring retail and partnership opportunities. Thompson said she hopes to place the product in stores that already sell wearable breast pumps.

"The dream is to be in retail," she said. "I would love to be on the shelf in Walmart and in Target."

She is also seeking partnerships with pump manufacturers, positioning the bra as a complementary product.

"If you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on these wearable pumps, you'll spend money on the bra that's going to hold them in place," she said.

Thompson's background in marketing, combined with her current role supporting senior leadership in sales and marketing at New Belgium, has informed her approach to building the business. She continues to work full time while developing the company on evenings and weekends.

"My new tagline is beers and bras," she quipped.

Her experience at New Belgium also shaped her perspective on workplace support for breastfeeding.

After returning to work, she helped establish nursing rooms at the brewery, which previously did not have dedicated spaces.

"So that was very special to me as well, to be part of it. And we actually cover wearable breast pumps now with our insurance," she said.

Lack of workplace support remains a barrier for many women trying to continue breastfeeding, noted Thompson. "I think a lot of moms give up because they don't have the support."

The Burble Bra addresses both the physical challenges of pumping and the logistical constraints of working environments by allowing users to pump more discreetly and efficiently.

"You can be at work, you can be in the meeting, and you can be pumping and no one's even going to know," she said.

Thompson is also planning additional products aimed at supporting pumping throughout the day, including a bundled system of accessories. "I want to design everything that you need to get you through a full day of pumping and be successful doing it," she said.

For now, Thompson said the focus is on building awareness and validating demand for the product as the company begins to scale. Thompson said early feedback from users has been positive. "Everyone's like: 'This is such a great idea. It's working. I can feel the difference,'" she said.