Brightline Announces National Expansion of Industry-Leading Pediatric Behavioral Health Offering and $72M Series B Funding Led by GV

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than a year after launching the first comprehensive virtual behavioral health solution designed specifically to support children, teenagers, and their families, Brightline announces today major new funding and nationwide expansion in 2021. GV (formerly Google Ventures) leads Brightline's preemptive $72M Series B round, with participation from new investors Optum Ventures, 7wireVentures, and Gaingels, the leading venture investment syndicate in support of diversity and representing the LGBTQ community and allies. Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO Emeritus, BET Networks, also contributed to the round as an independent investor.

Returning investors in the round include Oak HC/FT, Threshold Ventures, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, SemperVirens VC, and City Light Capital. The round includes $7M of venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank. Brightline, the category leader in technology-enabled pediatric behavioral health care, has now raised a total of nearly $100 million in funding to date.

"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," said Naomi Allen, Brightline CEO and co-founder. "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."

The announcement comes at a time when rates of behavioral health conditions are skyrocketing across the country and having a disproportionate impact on working families ? leading to rampant productivity loss and employees leaving the paid workforce in droves. In one particularly staggering statistic from the Census Bureau, around 10 million American mothers living with their school-age children were not working at the start of 2021, a 1.4 million increase over the previous year. Brightline's own survey of working parents and caregivers found that 50% reported losing significant productivity at work in caring for their children's behavioral health needs.

Brightline also found in that survey that 75% of parents say their child's mental health is more important than their own, showing the need for family-oriented solutions. The new capital will be utilized primarily to scale Brightline's care across the country ? fueling their growth as they partner with leading national employers and major health plans to bring behavioral health support to families whenever and wherever they need it.  

"CDC data shows that an estimated 1 in 5 U.S. children has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition ? yet 80% will not get the care they need. Pediatric behavioral health care is often less accessible and comprehensive than care for adults," said Ben Robbins, psychiatrist and Venture Partner at GV who is joining Brightline's Board of Directors. "Brightline addresses the huge unmet need of pediatric behavioral health services and is uniquely positioned to provide multiple levels of care based on the needs of patients and families."

Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent and Managing Partner at 7wireVentures, and Laura Veroneau, Partner at Optum Ventures, are joining Brightline as Board Observers.

Brightline also announced that they are embarking on their biggest expansion to date, introducing new products with nationwide availability and expanding clinical services to new states.

• Launch of Brightline Connect and Brightline Coaching with nationwide availability this summer.
• With their digital platform, Brightline Connect, families now have access to personalized content, tips and guides for parents and caregivers, interactive exercises, and chat with a coach for support when and where they need it.
• With Brightline Coaching, families can get support from expert behavioral health coaches through skill-building programs that help with everyday challenges. The first programs of their kind designed just for families, Brightline Coaching can help with issues like stress, anxiety, organizational skills, tantrums, disruptive behavior, social-emotional learning, and more in as few as four weeks.
• Expanding Brightline Care nationwide by the end of 2021 to support national employers and health plans. Brightline's clinical services ? including behavior therapy, medication support, and speech therapy ? are now available in California and Massachusetts, with Washington launching in July and several more states coming soon. Brightline expects to expand these services to all 50 states by the end of this year.

Brightline is rapidly expanding and actively partnering with leading employers and health plans across the country ? working together to bring accessible and affordable care to as many families as possible, right when it's needed most.

About Brightline
Founded in 2019, Brightline is the first comprehensive behavioral health solution built specifically to care for children, teens, and their families across a range of common challenges. With multidisciplinary care teams, a family-focused approach, evidence-based care delivery, and innovative technology, Brightline is able to support families with whatever challenges they're facing and help them thrive long-term. Founded by leading digital health entrepreneurs Naomi Allen and Giovanni Colella, MD and backed by leading investors GV (formerly Google Ventures), Oak HC/FT, and Threshold Ventures, Brightline is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA and expanding nationwide. Learn more at hellobrightline.com

Media Contact
Amanda D'Ambra, Senior Director of Marketing
[email protected]

SOURCE Brightline