Coral Care, a digital health platform dedicated to enhancing access to pediatric developmental specialty care, has successfully secured $1.3 million in its latest funding round. With participation from Reach Capital, Greymatter Capital, Purpose Built Ventures, Hustle Fund, and various angel investors, the funding will support Coral Care's expansion efforts across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and additional markets in late 2024.
20% of kids face developmental delays or disabilities—a 152% increase from 1999. Coral Care addresses the pressing and growing issue that these children experience multi-month waitlists to access care across public and private services. States nationwide report wait times exceeding six months for public services, with specific states, such as New York, indicating waitlists of up to 12 months for the public early intervention program.
To create access to timely care, Coral Care recruits licensed and experienced pediatric speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, vets them thoroughly, and helps them to take on local, private clients—increasing the supply of quality specialists available. Each Coral Care session is designed to optimize for the most successful outcomes, which is why sessions are conducted in-home, where young children in need are in a familiar and comfortable environment.
Coral Care was founded in the spring of 2023 by CEO Jen Wirt—a seasoned digital health product leader who has built platforms that delivered care to over 6 million patients across her career at companies including Weight Watchers, Samsung, and several startups. Driven by a personal mission inspired by her own challenges in finding timely and suitable care for her children, Wirt established Coral Care to make developmental support easier to access for families facing similar struggles.
Since its September launch, Coral Care has experienced significant growth, expanding its specialist team to over 50 therapists across Massachusetts, and has achieved an NPS score of 100 from parents.
"At Coral Care, we've reenvisioned the care model to cater to the unique needs of children with various disabilities and varying severity levels within a system that is crumbling under escalating demand," shared Jen Wirt, CEO and Founder of Coral Care.
"Simply listing available service providers isn't sufficient in the current landscape. To genuinely assist these children and their families, we must actively contribute to delivering the quality care they require—which is largely in-person. We aim to expand the supply of specialists to meet the rising demand and forge ongoing partnerships with health plans to ensure our care remains both affordable and accessible. Our goal is to establish a sustainable, scaled platform that delivers developmental care to as many families as possible for as long as they need it."
Coral Care is also proud to announce that it is now in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Harvard Pilgrim Health, and MGH Brigham, further expanding its reach and ensuring that more families can access high-quality developmental care without unnecessary delays.
"As longtime edtech investors, Reach Capital has developed an investment thesis underpinned by the reality that developmental and behavioral health unlocks the human capital potential of learners of all ages. By bringing together families, pediatric specialists, and payers, Coral Care is completely redefining the way these essential services are delivered, and we were thoroughly impressed by Coral Care’s ability to improve access to pediatric developmental care while also empowering specialists," expressed James Kim, Partner at Reach Capital. "We are excited to partner with Jen and her team as they take the company into its next chapter and expand into new states."
About Coral Care
Coral Care is a digital health startup on a mission to transform access to timely developmental care for children. Founded by a mom with firsthand experience struggling to find specialty care for her kids, Coral Care is committed to making high-quality pediatric developmental services accessible and affordable. The Coral Care platform connects families with licensed and vetted pediatric occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, and physical therapists who offer in-home sessions. For more information, visit www.joincoralcare.com.
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