Capita3 Announces Acquisition of Portfolio Company EmpowerU by FullBloom to Help Young People Thrive in Academics and Life

EmpowerU is a leading provider of evidence-based and tech-enabled student and educator mental health and wellbeing programs that build strong foundations in resilience, motivation, and confidence.

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Capita3, a Minneapolis based venture capital firm, announced that its portfolio company EmpowerU Inc. was acquired by FullBloom, a leader in early-intervention and evidence-based education and behavioral health solutions that create better life outcomes for children and their families. This acquisition brings together two innovative companies that share a common commitment to helping young people thrive in academics and in life.

EmpowerU Inc. was launched in 2018 to address the escalating levels of anxiety and depression in children and teenagers, a need further fueled by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Company rapidly emerged as a leader in evidence-based and turnkey mental health and wellbeing programs for students, their parents, and K12 educators.

EmpowerU's programs are designed to build strong foundations in resilience, motivation and confidence, and those changes lead to better academic and life outcomes. The Company uses digital curricula, proprietary algorithms, and asynchronous 1:1 coaching to drive powerful outcomes. EmpowerU's innovations enable massive scaling of mental health services at significantly reduced cost and in a format that is appealing to young people.

"We are very excited by the synergies between FullBloom and EmpowerU and we're delighted to become part of the FullBloom family," said Katie Dorn, Co-Founder and CEO of EmpowerU. "We intend to expand our programs and services to help many more young people develop the ability to thrive through challenges and adversity."

Capita3 launched in 2018 to invest in early-stage startups led by women with breakthrough innovations in human health. Capita3 advised EmpowerU through its initial launch and led their first financing round in partnership with ECMC, Great North Ventures, the Hemera Foundation, and the Lynne and Andrew Redleaf Foundation.

"EmpowerU is a powerful example of using technology to disrupt an industry, while maintaining the human connection often needed to drive behavior change," said Pamela York, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Capita3 and EmpowerU Board Chair. "Not only is the company transforming mental health services, they are transforming what it looks like to be a tech company – with a women CEO, female co-founders and a 95% female employee base. This may very well be a first."

About EmpowerU
EmpowerU's highly personalized, resilience and mental health programs helps young people replace anxiety and depression with resilience and confidence, fueling student transformation without a heavy lift for staff or the need for additional hires. The program provides each student with interactive lessons and personalized coaching, pairing technology with brain research in a unique way that supports students and empowers their growth. Multi-year data makes it clear: Nobody understands Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and approaches SEL the way EmpowerU does. 

About FullBloom
FullBloom provides education and behavioral health solutions for children via school and community-based services. Our programs enable students to become stronger lifelong learners regardless of learning obstacles. FullBloom's 8,200 educators, coaches, and healthcare professionals work in schools across the country to achieve sustainable growth in behavior and academics through evidence-based programs including special education, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), intervention services, alternative education, and professional development. Founded in 1976, FullBloom annually supports more than 150,000 children and 25,000 educators in over 1,100 school districts across three divisions, Catapult Learning, Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), and Little Leaves Behavioral Services.

About Capita3 
Capita3 backs emerging startups led by women with breakthrough innovations in human health. Capita3 leads and catalyzes deals, taking active roles, including joining the board of directors in pre-seed and seed stage companies. Combined, the partners have completed over 100 transactions and 35 exits. With a passion for helping female founders succeed, the firm built "Capita3 Leader Launch" and has led over 45 cohorts to date where participants significantly increase their ability to achieve critical business milestones. Capita3 is located in Minneapolis and Chicago and invests US-wide, with a focus on the Midwest and concentrated ecosystem building for Minnesota female founders.

Related Links
www.empoweru.education
www.capita3.com
www.fullbloom.org

SOURCE Capita3