Autism therapy startup Anna Health Inc. has raised $9.26 million of a $9.41 million round, according to public disclosure documents.
Based in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Anna Health offers naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs), parent coaching and insurance support. It was founded in 2023. ANNA stands for the Allied Network for Neurodevelopmental Advancement, according to CEO Aimun Malik.
The round included the participation of the venture capital funds virtue., GreyMatter Capital, re:Mind Capital and Watershed Ventures.
The company plans to add neuropsychological evaluations, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy — all offered in coordination and in the context of NDBI and “in a way that aligns with our neuroaffirming values,” Malik told Autism Business News.
Malik described Anna Health’s services as “naturalistic, play-based, and child-led.” Others describe NDBIs as “a purposeful integration of developmental science principles and naturalistic teaching strategies from applied behavior analysis (ABA).”
“We believe in strengths-based teaching and supporting and empowering autistic individuals,” Malik said.
Malik co-founded the company with three clinicians who now each hold C-suite roles in the company: Ellie Harrington (chief clinical officer), Helena Costa (chief operating officer) and Yael Stern (chief research officer).
Malik previously worked at the incubator firm Triple Aim Partners. Part of his role included starting new companies. Companies launched by Triple Aim Partners include intensive mental health care provider Guidelight Health, the SMI-focused provider firsthand and a to-be-named medication-assisted treatment company.
Guidelight Health also has backing from GV.
Venture capital has not been prominent in traditional behavioral health care models in recent years; much of that activity has focused on telehealth-focused or otherwise digitally based companies. However, some venture capital firms and entrepreneurs are taking an interest in the high-risk, high-reward aspect of certain lanes of behavioral health. Private equity remains the primary driver of investment and dealmaking in the autism therapy segment.
The number of autism therapy companies that offer or are planning to offer services in addition to and, in some cases, coordinated with ABA is increasing. This comes as the specter of value-based care models looms and companies seek to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded market.
