- Funding fuels expansion of the country’s most established developmental therapy model.
- Series C round led by aMoon Fund, B Capital and Flare Capital Partners with participation from Healthworx, Digitalis Ventures and others.
- Positive Development’s team, powered by investments in technology, AI and data insights, delivers outcomes at 50%+ lower cost than traditional ABA therapy.
- Services covered by major health plans and state Medicaid programs in alternative payment model and fee-for-service contracts.
Positive Development, the leading provider of developmental therapy for autistic children and their families, today announced the close of $51.5M in Series C funding. New Investor aMoon co-led the round with existing investors B Capital and Flare Capital Partners, and continued participation from Digitalis Ventures, Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst Inc. and others.
Positive Development is the only autism care provider delivering developmental therapy at scale, positioning the company as the clear leader in this fast-growing category.
The autism care market faces a crisis. Costs are climbing as autism diagnoses increase, with traditional, intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) interventions for autistic children costing $50,000 to $70,000 per child per year (before adding speech, occupational therapy and/or any other healthcare needs). At the same time, health plans are seeking innovative, value-based care options that better serve families.
Positive Development's model is built on Developmental Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBI): a family of relationship-centered approaches grounded in developmental science and academic research. Positive Development’s model integrates speech, occupational and mental health therapies with technology and real-time data to improve care quality and parent experience. Unlike traditional autism therapy, DRBI therapies are lower intensity by design, delivering measurable outcomes in fewer hours and at a lower cost. On average, the cost of Positive Development’s care model is 50% less than a comparable ABA program.
“Positive Development’s ability to improve outcomes and reduce the total cost of care is directly aligned with aMoon’s mission to partner with exceptional companies who are advancing solutions that will transform healthcare and help people live healthier, better lives,” said Dr. Tomer Berkovitz, Managing Partner at aMoon. “Their unique developmental therapy model brings accessibility and affordability to systems in desperate need of change, and their extensive partnerships with payers and Medicaid programs showcase their success. We look forward to partnering with the team to help the company expand and scale to serve more families.”
“This funding allows us to continue expanding a model that’s working for families, providers and payers,” said Mike Suiters, Co-founder and CEO of Positive Development. “As the nation’s leading provider of developmental autism care, we’re focused on making high-quality, relationship-based support more accessible and affordable. We’re grateful to aMoon, B Capital, and all our investors for helping us move this important work forward.”
Positive Development will use the funds to grow its DRBI-based care model by expanding within new and existing markets, investing in new health plan and state Medicaid partnerships, and advancing its proprietary technology and AI platform that improves upon the efficiency, experience and quality of care.
“Autistic children and families deserve affordable options that are tailored to their unique strengths and challenges, and our healthcare system needs options that don’t break the bank,” said B Capital Partner, Adam Seabrook. “Positive Development’s relationship-based, developmental therapy approach and alternative payment model are the future of autism care, and we’re excited to help the company continue to build out these important services to make care more accessible and affordable.”
As part of the Series C round, Dr. Tomer Berkovitz of aMoon has joined Positive Development’s Board of Directors.
To learn more about Positive Development’s DRBI model and national expansion, please visit www.positivedevelopment.com or follow company updates on:
About Positive Development
Since 2020, Positive Development has been on a mission to deliver developmental therapy to as many autistic children and families as possible. Positive Development’s team represents dedicated parents, devoted family members, impassioned self-advocates and pioneering clinicians. Together, they have experienced the transformative power of high-quality Developmental Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBI) therapy firsthand – personally, professionally and scientifically. As the largest provider of developmental therapy in the country, Positive Development is committed to broadening access to this life-changing approach while establishing best practices in clinical support. The company’s dedication to outcomes measurement and evaluation benefits all families served.
About Positive Development’s Model
Positive Development focuses on play-based developmental therapy based in Developmental Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBI). This family of approaches optimizes outcomes for autistic children by supporting interactions that recognize their innate motivations and constitutional differences, supported by trusting relationships and safe connections. DRBI is less invasive, more empowering and requires less time to see progress than other autism care models. Positive Development encourages and supports parents to participate in their child’s care program. With coaching, parents strengthen meaningful interactions with their child through playful engagement that follows the child's intent while challenging them to extend their ideas and abilities. For more information about DRBI, visit https://positivedevelopment/blog/drbi-defined
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250722390450/en/
"This funding allows us to continue expanding a model that’s working for families, providers, and payers," says Positive Development Co-founder & CEO, Mike Suiters
Contacts
Shalin Ehr
Content Marketing & Communications Director, Positive Development
sehr@positivedevelopment.com