DotCom Therapy has raised $13 million to expand its pediatric teletherapy resources and to establish additional partnerships with health care systems nationwide, the Madison-based company announced today.
Unlike other telehealth platforms, DotCom Therapy’s sole focus is on providing teletherapy to children through schools, youth programs and health care systems. Zesh, its online therapy platform, connects kids with therapists, hosts video calls and schedules appointments.
DotCom Therapy has more than 100 health experts on its platform that are certified in speech, occupational and behavioral health therapy. All therapists are employed as W-2 employees rather than independent contractors, according to the company.
The teletherapy company touts its 5-star patient ratings and has a 97% retention rate for its roster of therapists, DotCom Therapy president and founder Rachel Robinson said in a statement.
The company provides services for over 400 schools and health systems in 38 states – one of its partnerships is with Akeela Inc., a behavioral health program offering services to 18 communities throughout Alaska. Through this partnership, Akeela implemented collaborative care pathways and teletherapy services to children and families in rural and urban communities in southcentral and southeast Alaska, according to the company.
DotCom Therapy also partnered with the 2021 Little League Baseball and Softball Regional and World Series tournaments to provide participants with access to mental health and emotional well-being support.
Robinson, a trained speech-language pathologist, founded DotCom Therapy in 2015 after witnessing firsthand how a shortage of qualified therapists and a lack of access to care can negatively impact a child’s growth and development.
The company also points to the latest figures from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which suggests nearly 1 and 5 children have a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder with only 20% of children receiving care from a specialized mental health provider, according to the CDC.
“The (COVID-19) pandemic drew a spotlight on the mental health crisis impacting children and families,” Robinson said in a statement. “DotCom Therapy is a proven solution to the ongoing therapist shortage that benefits patients while improving operational and financial performance for health care systems, making it a win/win for all.”
DontCom Therapy's Series A fundraising was led by New Capital Partners with participation from LRVHealth and OSF Ventures, according to a press release. The company says it will use the capital to advance the features and functionality of Zesh, grow its customer base of schools and scale partnerships with providers and payers in the health care industry.
The fundraise also follows
DotCom Therapy’s placement on the
2021 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America where it ranked 2,598.