Polygon, a Santa Monica-based startup, recently raised $3.6 million in a funding round led by Spark Capital, bringing its total funding to $4.2 million. Founded in 2020 by Jack Rolo and Meryll Dindin, the company has stepped out of stealth mode with a mission to provide remote learning evaluations and support for children with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences. The fresh investment will enable Polygon to further develop its digital assessment platform and accelerate its geographic expansion to reach more families and educational institutions across the country.
Solving Key Challenges in Learning Assessments
Remote learning evaluations have become a vital solution in the education and behavioral health space as families and schools face significant barriers in accessing traditional in-person assessments. These evaluations are often expensive, with some neuropsychological assessments costing up to $10,000. Long waitlists and a shortage of qualified specialists in many regions only exacerbate these challenges. Polygon’s platform offers comprehensive psychoeducational and neuropsychological testing conducted entirely online, providing a more accessible and affordable alternative.
Clients pay $995 for a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation or $2,745 for a neuropsychological evaluation, both substantially less than traditional options. The company ensures that its remote learning evaluations meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), making them valid for determining eligibility for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, and standardized test accommodations. This compliance means families and schools can rely on Polygon’s assessments to support students’ educational needs legally and effectively.
Jack Rolo, Polygon’s co-founder, emphasized the urgent need for remote learning evaluations: “Comprehensive tests for dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences are prohibitively expensive and can cost up to $10K. Waitlists can be as long as up to a year, given supply shortages. Vast parts of the country do not have quality providers nearby. And quality can vary significantly with generally low customer satisfaction scores. Finally, the pandemic accelerated the need for our services, given the industry’s general lack of remote capabilities.”
Serving Families and Educational Institutions
Polygon’s remote learning evaluations are designed to serve a wide range of clients, including families, K-12 schools, school districts, private schools, universities, and pediatricians. Many of these institutions face the same challenges of limited access and long wait times for traditional testing. By partnering with educational organizations and healthcare providers, Polygon aims to close the gaps in service availability and provide students with timely, accurate evaluations.
Rolo explained the importance of serving both direct consumers and institutions: “Both direct consumers and K-12 schools face the same supply issues for online testing. We help K-12 schools, school districts, private schools, universities, pediatricians, and others provide their people with best-in-class testing and support.”
These partnerships enable schools to better identify students with learning differences and implement necessary accommodations more quickly, improving educational outcomes. Moreover, families who previously faced geographic or financial barriers now have an affordable, convenient option through Polygon’s remote learning evaluations.
The Impact of Remote Learning Evaluations on Education Equity
Remote learning evaluations have the potential to significantly improve equity in education. Many students in rural or underserved urban areas struggle to access qualified specialists due to distance, lack of providers, or financial constraints. By making assessments accessible via digital platforms, Polygon is helping to democratize access to essential educational services.
This shift is especially critical in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted traditional healthcare and educational services and highlighted the need for remote capabilities. Polygon’s platform not only addresses current challenges but is also positioned to support future needs as telehealth and digital education services continue to grow.
Growing Market and Industry Trends
Polygon operates within a rapidly growing ecosystem of digital health and education technology companies focused on supporting youth with learning differences and behavioral health needs. In May, New York City-based Parallel Learning raised $20 million in Series A funding to develop its digital learning support platform. This investment indicates strong market interest and validation for tech-driven solutions in this space.
Additionally, Brightline Health, a company dedicated to providing behavioral health services for youth, raised $105 million in Series C funding earlier this year, boosting its valuation to $705 million. These investments reflect a broader trend of increased funding for digital health companies focusing on children and adolescents, especially those addressing behavioral health and learning challenges.
What’s Next for Polygon
With the recent funding, Polygon plans to enhance its remote learning evaluations platform by adding new features, improving user experience, and integrating additional telehealth capabilities. The company also intends to expand geographically, reaching more families and educational institutions across the U.S. who need accessible, affordable learning assessments.
By lowering the cost and increasing the availability of remote learning evaluations, Polygon is poised to disrupt the traditional landscape of psychoeducational and neuropsychological testing. This digital approach offers a practical solution to long-standing problems related to wait times, provider shortages, and high costs.
Polygon’s platform aligns with the growing demand for telehealth services, making quality learning difference assessments more convenient and equitable for families nationwide.
