New York City-based Parallel Learning recently closed a $20 million Series A funding round, bringing its total capital raised to $22.8 million since launching in December 2021. Led by CEO Diana Heldfond, the company is on a mission to rapidly expand its innovative digital psychoeducational services for students from six states to as many as 18 to 23 states by the end of 2022, with plans to offer nationwide coverage by the end of 2023. This ambitious growth plan reflects the urgent demand for accessible, timely, and affordable support for students with learning difficulties and mental health challenges across the United States.
Addressing a Critical Need in Psychoeducational Services
Students with learning difficulties and mental health conditions often face barriers to receiving timely assessments and effective support. Traditional psychoeducational services can be costly, time-consuming, and fragmented, leaving families and school districts struggling to find the right care. Parallel Learning is changing this landscape by providing a comprehensive digital platform that integrates assessment, tutoring, therapy, and coaching services into one accessible, virtual space.
The platform’s offerings include psychological assessments, skill-based tutoring, executive function coaching, behavioral therapy, and speech and language therapy. These services support a range of conditions, including anxiety, ADHD, depression, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and intellectual and developmental disorders. Although Parallel Learning does not currently diagnose or treat autism spectrum disorders, its wide service range covers many common challenges that impact students’ academic and social success.
How Parallel Learning’s Digital Psychoeducational Services for Students Work
Parallel Learning employs a dual-channel model that serves both families directly (D2C) and partners with school districts (B2B). This approach allows the company to fill significant gaps in psychoeducational support that exist in many school systems and private care settings.
For families, the service is often a crucial alternative when school district services are delayed or insufficient. Traditional school assessments generally focus on eligibility for specific programs rather than providing an in-depth understanding of a child’s needs or strategies for day-to-day support. Parallel’s digital assessments and therapeutic services aim to deliver richer, more actionable insights that help families better support their children’s learning and development.
On the school district side, particularly in smaller or under-resourced districts, Parallel Learning provides a scalable way to access specialized clinicians such as speech therapists and behavioral therapists without the need for full-time staff. This virtual service model helps districts expand their support offerings efficiently and effectively, bridging gaps caused by staff shortages or budget limitations.
The Importance of Speed and Affordability in Digital Psychoeducational Services for Students
A significant pain point in psychoeducational care is the long wait times families often endure before assessments or therapy begin. Private providers may have waitlists of six to eight months, and costs can range from $2,500 to as much as $10,000, particularly in large metropolitan areas. Parallel Learning’s model aims to reduce both wait times and costs significantly.
The company typically starts children on services within a week of intake, with assessments priced at about $1,500 in the states where it currently operates. While pricing may vary depending on state-level market trends, Parallel Learning’s focus on affordability and timely access is central to its mission to democratize psychoeducational care.
This approach can be especially impactful for families who either find their children do not qualify for school-based services or who seek deeper diagnostic information and more personalized support than what public systems often provide. Additionally, many families have insurance plans that cover some aspects of testing and clinical care, but coverage levels vary widely; Parallel Learning’s pricing helps bridge affordability gaps for many.
Leadership and Expertise Powering Parallel Learning’s Growth
Parallel Learning’s team includes about 20 full-time employees and a growing contracted clinician network of 50 to 60 professionals, all carefully vetted to ensure quality care. The leadership team includes Susan Liu, former vice president of clinical operations at online mental health platform Cerebral Inc., serving as chief operating officer, and Robert Stager, who brings extensive experience from Presence Learning and N2Y as director of partnerships.
The company’s investors bring both capital and expertise to the table. Tiger Global Management, a major New York-based investment firm specializing in healthcare and technology, led the Series A round. Tiger Global is well-known for backing digital health startups, including Osmind, Equip Health, and Ophelia Health. Additional investors include San Francisco-based Obvious Ventures, JAWS Estates Capital (the family office of Starwood Capital founder Barry Sternlicht), and returning investor Vine Ventures.
Jay Chen, partner at Tiger Global, praised Parallel Learning’s tech-driven approach, saying, “Parallel’s tech-enabled platform is solving the most pressing psychoeducational issues with extreme efficiency, scalability, and quality of care. By partnering with schools and families to not only assess students but also provide best-in-class ongoing support virtually, Parallel is building an end-to-end digital platform that delivers better outcomes at lower costs.”
The Bigger Picture: Changing the Future of Psychoeducational Support
Parallel Learning’s vision goes beyond simply expanding service coverage. The company is building a new standard for psychoeducational care that leverages technology to overcome geographic and economic barriers that have long limited access for many families. Their model offers a critical lifeline for students who might otherwise wait months for help or face prohibitive costs.
By blending digital access with clinical rigor and personalized care, Parallel Learning is setting a precedent for how psychoeducational services can evolve to meet the needs of modern families and educational systems. This is particularly important as awareness grows around mental health and learning challenges and as demand for remote, scalable solutions continues to increase in a post-pandemic world.
Looking Ahead: Nationwide Expansion and Impact
With the new funding secured, Parallel Learning is poised to accelerate its expansion, aiming to be operational in 18 to 23 states by the end of 2022 and fully nationwide by the end of 2023. This rapid growth will enable the company to bring timely, affordable, and comprehensive digital psychoeducational services to many more students and families, filling critical gaps in care.
As the platform scales, it will continue to refine its services, clinician network, and partnerships to ensure quality and accessibility remain at the forefront. Families and school districts looking for innovative, effective support options for students with learning difficulties now have a promising new resource that combines clinical excellence with digital convenience.
