Pediatric-Focused Mental Health Startup Brightline Scores $72M in Series B Funding

Pediatric behavioral health platform Brightline has raised $72 million in a Series B funding round led by GV.

New investors Optum Ventures, 7wireVentures, Gaingels, and Debra Lee, the chairman and CEO emeritus of BET Networks, participated in the round.

Returning investors include Oak HC/FT, Threshold Ventures, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, SemperVirens VC, and City Light Capital. The funding round also included $7 million in venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank.

Brightline has now secured nearly $100 million in funding to date.

In addition to the funding, the company added to its board, as observers, Glen Tullman, CEO of Transparent and Managing Partner at 7wireVentures, and Laura Veroneau, Partner at Optum Ventures.

WHAT IT DOES

Designed to be a comprehensive behavioral health platform for kids, teens, and their families, Brightline offers virtual therapy, medication support, on-demand chatting with coaches, digital resources for parents and caregivers, and speech therapy.

The platform supports children from 18 months to 17 years old with multidisciplinary care teams that help create care programs, track progress, and share updates with caregivers and schools.

WHAT IT’S FOR

The funding will be used for company expansion and to support a number of new business initiatives.

“In the past year, families everywhere have felt the impact of the pandemic on their children and daily lives. We’re seeing more children, adolescents, and teens than ever with behavioral health challenges – now is the time for us to get ahead of the coming wave of need,” Naomi Allen, Brightline CEO and co-founder said in a statement.

“We are fortunate to have incredible partners in GV and all of our investors who joined us to make a difference in the lives of children and families. The latest funding will allow us to innovate even more quickly, expand rapidly, and help more children and families get the care they deserve.”

Brightline launched last year in California and has since moved into Massachusetts as well. It plans to launch in Washington this July and hopes to achieve nationwide expansion by the end of the year, according to the announcement.

The company is also launching two new services this summer with nationwide availability. The first, Brightline Connect, gives families access to personalized content, resources, interactive exercises, and an option to message with a behavioral coach.

The second is Brightline Coaching, which connects families with behavioral health coaches who can guide them through programs focusing on stress, anxiety, organizational skills, tantrums, and more.

As Brightline expands its services and geographic footprint, it is also seeking partnerships with health plans and employers to make its platform more accessible to families.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Other digital health startups trying to help parents manage their child’s behavioral health needs include Maven, which released a number of parenting-support tools last year and Enables My Child, which raised $1.2 million in 2019 for its virtual pediatric therapy platform.

There’s also Akili Interactive and Mightier, which have both created video game therapies to treat kids with ADHD.

Source: Mobihealthnews