Ladder Health Raises $7M to Fix Pediatric Therapy's Waitlist Crisis

The virtual-first, AI-enabled model helps health systems expand pediatric developmental care capacity and empower families with faster, more accessible care

BOSTON, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ladder Health, a virtual-first pediatric developmental care company, today announced the close of an oversubscribed $7 million Seed financing round led by Nina Capital, with participation from Mairs & Power Venture Capital, South Dakota First Capital, and incubating partner 25madison Health. Other investors in this round include 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 Ladder Health's AI-enabled care platform and health system partnerships.

For the more than 27 million children in the U.S., the first 1,000 days of life and the critical "next 1,000 days" through age five together represent the most consequential window for brain development. However, for the roughly one in four children under age six who are at risk for a developmental delay or disability, families routinely encounter a system defined by months-long waitlists, workforce shortages, and limited access to specialty care. 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.

Ladder Health was built to close the gap and reduce wait times from months to days. The company delivers speech, occupational, physical and feeding therapy through a virtual-first, AI-enabled platform available evenings and weekends. Unlike conventional therapy models built around episodic weekly visits, Ladder Health works directly with caregivers, activating parents as therapeutic partners and extending care into the home between sessions, helping kids get better, faster. A dedicated team of Ladder liaisons builds relationships with pediatric practices and health systems, serving as a referral and care-extension partner that helps providers reach more families without increasing headcount.

"Early developmental therapy changes life trajectories, but only if families can actually access it at the right time," said Mitch Mudra, co-founder and CEO of Ladder Health. "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."

Originally developed in collaboration with clinical experts at Boston Children's Hospital, the platform now partners with more than 80 provider organizations and health systems across Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Maryland, helping pediatric practices improve continuity of care, reduce fragmentation and reach more families earlier in the developmental journey.

"Delays in accessing developmental care can have lasting consequences for children and families," said John Brownstein, Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children's Hospital. "Ladder Health's model represents an important evolution, leveraging technology to extend clinical expertise into the home, where so much of a child's development actually happens."

"Health systems are desperate for solutions that expand pediatric capacity, but traditional models are too expensive and hard to scale," said Marta G. Zanchi, Founder and Managing Partner at Nina Capital. "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." 

That conviction was shared early by 25madison, where Ladder Health was incubated. "We were early believers that the right technology could extend expert developmental care beyond traditional care settings," said Walt Winslow, Director at 25madison. "That opportunity remains especially significant for health systems serving rural and underserved communities."

The raise reflects growing conviction among healthcare investors that caregiver-activated, technology-enabled models represent the most scalable response to the pediatric workforce shortage, as demand for developmental services continues to surge and the gap between need and access widens.

About Ladder Health
Ladder Health is a virtual-first pediatric care company delivering AI-powered developmental and therapeutic care for children and families. By activating caregivers and extending care beyond the clinic, Ladder Health improves outcomes, expands access, and reduces cost, especially for families historically left behind by the healthcare system. Learn more at ladderhealth.co.

Disclosure Statement: Boston Children's Hospital holds equity in Ladder Health

SOURCE Ladder Health