Mental health platforms for teenagers and adults have taken off over the course of the pandemic. But the mental wellbeing of children under the age of 13 has oftentimes been overlooked or ignored. Little Otter was founded to give those children a voice. The mental health platform offers virtual, on-demand care for the entire family with a special focus on kids.
Familial demand for mental healthcare services is skyrocketing, and Little Otter’s growth metrics are evidence of that. The startup has seen 45 percent month-over-month growth since its launch in May of 2021.
“We were in a pediatric mental health crisis before the pandemic but now the crisis has progressively gotten worse,” Rebecca Egger, co-founder and CEO of Little Otter, said in an email to Built In. “Parent mental health has a big impact on child mental health.”
Now, the San Francisco-based startup is receiving a fresh investment to support its mission as it continues to scale. Little Otter announced Thursday that it raised $22 million in an oversubscribed Series A round led by CRV.
A range of mental healthcare professionals can be accessed on Little Otter’s platform from parenting specialists and early childhood trained therapists to couples therapists and pediatric psychiatrists.
“Between extreme lack of providers available for in-person care paired with the pandemic’s multiple stressors, children are suffering from anxiety, PTSD, stress, and depression,” Egger continued. “The need for a virtual care platform that not only provides therapy but delivers care to the entire family — from coaching to cheerleading and goal setting — has never been more critical.”
Eighty-five percent of families on Little Otter have reached clinical improvements within just six sessions on the platform, according to the company.
The latest investment will be used to help the company continue to scale as it aims to go national by 2023. Little Otter’s platform is currently accessible in California, Colorado, North Carolina and Florida. The company also plans to continue expanding its team. The mental health platform is now hiring for 13 positions across its product, operations and marketing teams to name a few.
“We’ll be expanding and further building Little Otter to be the personalized mental health companion for every family,” Egger continued. “The one-size-fits-all solutions on the market alone will not work, and we’re giving families an option with Little Otter to be their go-to resource to meet mental health goals and ultimately thrive.”
Little Otter has raised $26.75 million in venture capital financing to date, according to the company.
