Decatur, Georgia-based digital autism company EarliTec Diagnostics has recently secured $21.5 million in a Series B funding round, a major milestone that underscores growing investor confidence in the company’s innovative approach to early autism diagnosis technology. This capital injection will primarily support clinical research to further validate and expand the use of EarliTec’s groundbreaking technology, which is designed to help clinicians more accurately diagnose and assess autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers.
Addressing the Critical Need for Early Autism Diagnosis Technology
Early diagnosis of autism remains a pressing challenge in the field of developmental health. Although autism spectrum disorder can sometimes be detected before a child turns two, many children face a prolonged wait before receiving a formal diagnosis. This delay can prevent access to early interventions that are crucial for improving developmental outcomes. EarliTec’s mission is to change this reality by providing clinicians with an objective, data-driven early autism diagnosis technology that offers new clarity and precision.
Dr. Ami Klin, chief clinical officer and founder of EarliTec, emphasized the urgent need for innovation in autism diagnosis:
“There is a severe unmet need in autism diagnosis, and families often face a challenging path to diagnosis due to the lack of innovation in the space and limited access to expert clinicians. For the first time, clinicians have a tool to objectively understand where a child is on the spectrum, reach a diagnosis, and deliver personalized care.”
How EarliTec’s Early Autism Diagnosis Technology Works: The EarliPoint Evaluation
At the heart of EarliTec’s offering is the EarliPoint Evaluation, a tablet-based diagnostic system that presents toddlers with videos depicting social interactions. While watching, the child’s eye movements are tracked by a high-precision embedded biomarker system. This system captures where and how long the child focuses on various elements within the scenes—such as faces, gestures, or objects—providing a detailed profile of the child’s social engagement, verbal ability, and non-verbal learning.
This early autism diagnosis technology tracks eye movement 120 times per second, capturing moment-by-moment looking behavior that is imperceptible to the human eye. These data points are compared to benchmarks established from typically developing children to identify early indicators of autism.
This innovative approach provides clinicians with quantifiable, objective data that complement traditional behavioral observations, reducing subjective variability and helping to clarify diagnosis at a very young age.
Expanding Access and Clinical Reach of Early Autism Diagnosis Technology
Currently, there are 12 EarliPoint devices installed in eight clinical centers spanning six U.S. states, focusing on children aged 16 to 30 months suspected of having autism. The technology has earned FDA clearance twice—in 2022 for the original device and again in 2023 for a second-generation version—validating its safety and efficacy.
Importantly, EarliPoint was recently included in Georgia Medicaid’s medical coverage. This expansion of coverage helps remove financial barriers, enabling low-income families to access this state-of-the-art early autism diagnosis technology and begin the pathway to early intervention without undue financial strain.
Significant Support for Early Autism Diagnosis Technology from Investors and Research Institutions
The funding round was led by Nexus NeuroTech Ventures and Venture Investors Health Fund. Jim Adox, executive managing director at Venture Investors Health Fund, expressed strong support for EarliTec’s mission:
“EarliTec is pioneering diagnostic and treatment solutions for children with autism, and we’re thrilled to support their innovative efforts.”
The underlying technology is the product of extensive research collaborations among leading institutions, including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, and Yale University. This research was initially funded by billionaire philanthropist Bernard Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, whose commitment has been instrumental in driving this technology from concept to clinical use.
The Broader Implications of Early Autism Diagnosis Technology
Early detection of autism offers tremendous benefits, not only for affected children but also for healthcare systems and society. Earlier diagnosis allows families and clinicians to start tailored therapies that can improve developmental trajectories and quality of life. Studies suggest that early intervention can reduce the lifetime costs associated with autism care by up to $2.5 million per individual, reflecting fewer hospitalizations, less need for specialized education, and improved independence.
The autism diagnosis landscape is evolving rapidly, with multiple companies investing in innovative early autism diagnosis technology. For example, Floreo, a behavioral health-focused virtual reality company, recently acquired Autism Eyes, a tool that also leverages eye tracking to assist early autism diagnosis. This trend highlights the growing recognition that technology-driven, objective measures are essential for transforming care in developmental disorders.
What the Future Holds for EarliTec and Early Autism Diagnosis Technology
With $21.5 million secured, EarliTec is well-positioned to accelerate its clinical research and expand its footprint across more healthcare facilities nationwide. The company aims to refine its early autism diagnosis technology further, increase accessibility, and empower clinicians with tools that can detect autism as early and accurately as possible.
This funding also enables EarliTec to explore new applications of its eye-tracking technology beyond diagnosis, potentially helping to monitor treatment progress or personalize interventions for children with autism.
The future of autism care will increasingly rely on innovations like those pioneered by EarliTec—blending advanced technology, clinical expertise, and data-driven insights to transform lives.
For families and clinicians alike, advancements in early autism diagnosis technology represent a hopeful shift toward faster, more reliable diagnosis of autism in toddlers. This means earlier access to personalized support and a stronger foundation for every child’s developmental journey.
