AUTISM IMPACT FUND AND MULTIPLE ENTER INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

 PREMIER AUTISM ACCELERATOR AND VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS TEAM UP TO BRING TO MARKET NEW INNOVATORS IN AUTISM SPACE

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Autism Impact Fund (AIF), the investment and innovation arm of the autism community, and Multiple, a non-profit innovation platform for the autism community, have entered into a strategic partnership to harness the unique capabilities of each organization to bring new solutions to the market that benefit individuals and families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Through this new collaboration, AIF and Multiple will work together: 1) as a cross-organizational, non-profit/VC investment selection team nurturing innovation and entrepreneurs from idea to market; 2) to identify market needs and target areas for future investment; 3) to participate on each other's Advisory Boards.

"Teaming up with the Autism Impact Fund will allow Multiple to harness our expertise, scale, and relationships to support the incubation/formation of promising new businesses that will serve unmet needs of the autism community," said Chris Male, AIF's Co-Founder and Managing Partner. "No one organization can do it alone and the partnership between our organizations will create a powerful force-multiplier effect, and is a symbol of the kind of relationships that are needed to solve some of society's most challenging issues," added Mr. Male

"As an entrepreneur and parent of a child living with autism, I've seen first hand how challenging  it can be for autism entrepreneurs to access capital. As a result, autism innovations often lack the critical support that they need to power positive change," said Dan Feshbach, CEO and founder of Multiple. "This is about paring insights and networks with capital to fund entrepreneurs and  transform the lives of people with autism at a massive scale."

Since its founding in 2021, AIF has invested in 10 portfolio companies, including diagnostics, therapeutics and living with ASD into adulthood. AIF has also established a world-class investment advisory board comprised of leaders from business, academia and the investment sector.

Since its launch in January 2022,  Multiple has already achieved significant impact providing acceleration support to 40 early stage startups via's its accelerators, investor showcases and mentoring.  Multiple's growing community of 900 innovators and over 50 mentors includes startups, and investors are working together to support early stage companies who meet unmet needs of our community become investable and provide pathways to funders.

The Autism Impact Fund (AIF) seeks to become the investment and innovation arm of the autism community. AIF's mission is to revolutionize the status quo for diagnosing, treating and living with autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, mental health, and other complex chronic conditions. Through a venture capital model, AIF accelerates the development and delivery of emerging technologies, translational science, and innovative services to empower individuals to reach their full potential.

For more information, visit http://www.autismimpact.fund

Multiple is a non-profit dedicated to catalyzing innovation and supporting technologies for the autism community. As an engine for innovation, we are building a global community of families, entrepreneurs, funders, and experts collaborating to solve the greatest challenges for people with autism. Learn more at www.multiplehub.org.

SOURCE Multiple