Boosted with $4 million in funding, Arisea new virtual startup of eating disorders, seeks to treat more consumers through personalized attention.
This is part of the growing trend of treating specific mental health conditions, such as eating disorders, OCD and insomnia, in a virtual environment. Investor and consumer interest generated more than $5.1 billion in digital mental health funding last year.
“There is no one modality that works for everyone,” Amanda D’Ambra, chief executive officer and co-founder of Arise, told Behavioral Health Business. “And that’s also true because eating disorders are not a thing. They are a category of conditions. So we strongly believe that part of the reason treatment often doesn’t work for people is because they don’t receive targeted or tailored interventions.”
Eating disorders affect at least 9% of people worldwide, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
Certain demographic groups are also more at risk for eating disorders. For example, approximately 20% to 30% of adults with an eating disorder also have autism. Additionally, people of color with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder or receive treatment, according to ANAD.
A key priority for Arise is contracting with a diverse provider base so that patients receive care from providers in a similar demographic. Patients who come to the platform will get a care advocate as well as an individualized treatment plan. Arise also offers patients peer support groups.
“We believe that by focusing on the experiences and voice of the individual, we can create a more effective treatment in the long term,” Joan Zhang, chief product officer and co-founder of Arise, told BHB.
The New York-based startup launched in mid-July with funding from Greycroft, BBG Ventures, Wireframe Ventures, and individual investors. The company will launch in New York and North Carolina this fall. Next, the team sets its sights on Texas.
Initially, the company will treat people over the age of 16.
“Eating disorders are not just a brain disorder,” D’Ambra said. “They’re also very psychosocial, so looking at all those factors and that advocate for care is a really important part of doing that. But really, when you look at our full model, it’s about integrating community care and clinical care.”
While the company is still in beta, the founders plan to work with commercial insurance and Medicaid plans.
“We want to work directly with health plans instead of following more of the employer model that is often seen,” D’Ambra said. “And part of that is wanting to have the broadest coverage possible for people who go online with the plan, so that we can make it affordable and accessible to the entire population, rather than just those who are employed. within the ASO network.
While there is a large population dealing with eating disorders, Arise has competition in the space.
To equip, a virtual provider of eating disorders, is one of the company’s main competitors. San Diego-based Equip has raised $75 million for its family-based treatment model. It has also expanded to all 50 states and Washington, DC.
The Arise team says they are launching a different care model than Equip and its competitors. Mainly, says the founder, Arise offers a diversity of services.
“We believe there is a need to have the diversity of providers and the care they can provide rather than relying on a single modality of care to address the wide range of needs here,” Zhang said.
The team also highlighted their emphasis on the community care aspect of their model. Specifically, Arise offers peer support models designed to help patients connect with others in a similar demographic.
“When we think about the eating disorder space, family therapy is the gold standard, [but] it requires his family to be involved,” Zhang said. “I think from personal experience, my eating disorder actually stemmed from a lot of family trauma that was out there, and it would have actually been more damaging for me to include my family members.”
