Ladder Health, a Boston-based virtual-first pediatric developmental care company, has closed an oversubscribed $7M seed round led by Nina Capital, with participation from Mairs & Power Venture Capital, South Dakota First Capital, and incubating partner 25madison Health, alongside Hatteras Venture Partners, Create Health Ventures, Jumpstart Capital, White Oak Enterprises, Groove Capital, and 7Rock Ventures.
The funding will support expansion across North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maryland, accelerate entry into additional states, and continue investment in the company’s AI-enabled care platform and health system partnerships.
Addressing The Market Opportunity
Roughly one in four children under the age of six in the United States is at risk for a developmental delay or disability. The window between birth and age five represents the most consequential period for brain development, yet average wait times for in-network pediatric developmental therapy now exceed six months. For families on Medicaid and those in rural communities, the barriers run deeper still.
Workforce shortages and limited access to specialty care have created a system where demand consistently outpaces capacity. Ladder Health was built to close this gap, reducing wait times from months to days.
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How The Technology Works
Ladder Health delivers speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy through a virtual-first, AI-enabled platform available evenings and weekends. Rather than relying on conventional episodic weekly visits, the company works directly with caregivers, training parents as therapeutic partners who extend care into the home between sessions.
A dedicated team of Ladder liaisons builds relationships with pediatric practices and health systems, acting as a referral and care-extension partner that helps providers reach more families without increasing headcount. The platform was originally developed in collaboration with clinical experts at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Growth And Market Traction
Ladder Health now partners with more than 80 provider organizations and health systems across Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Maryland. The company’s model is designed to help pediatric practices improve continuity of care, reduce fragmentation, and reach families earlier in the developmental journey.
The seed round was oversubscribed, reflecting growing conviction among healthcare investors that caregiver-activated, technology-enabled models represent the most scalable response to the pediatric workforce shortage.
Expansion Plans
The $7M raise will fund geographic expansion across North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maryland, accelerate entry into new states, and support continued development of Ladder Health’s AI-enabled care platform. The company will also deepen its health system partnerships as it scales.
Looking Ahead
Mitch Mudra, co-founder and CEO of Ladder Health, described the population the company was built to serve: “Early developmental therapy changes life trajectories, but only if families can actually access it at the right time. Half of families in the U.S. rely on Medicaid, and the system simply wasn’t built to serve them well. We built Ladder Health for this moment, when the demand for care exceeds the system’s capacity and too many families are left without access to the care their children need.”
Marta G. Zanchi, Founder and Managing Partner at Nina Capital, explained the rationale behind leading the round: “Health systems are desperate for solutions that expand pediatric capacity, but traditional models are too expensive and hard to scale. We led this round because Ladder Health has built a clinically rigorous model that solves the throughput crisis for providers while delivering immediate, life-changing care to the families who need it most.”
About Ladder Health
Ladder Health is a Boston-based virtual-first pediatric care company delivering AI-powered developmental and therapeutic services for children and families. The platform activates caregivers as therapeutic partners, extending care beyond the clinic and into the home to improve outcomes and reduce wait times. Ladder Health partners with more than 80 provider organizations across Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Maryland, with a focus on expanding access for families historically underserved by the healthcare system.
