Company plans to use seed funding led by Greycroft and BBG Ventures to break down stigma and expand access to care for the 5M+ people in the U.S. who experience eating disorders every year
NEW YORK, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Arise, the digital healthcare company enabling comprehensive care for eating disorders, mental health, and long-term healing, has launched today after raising over $4 million in a seed funding round. Arise is building a virtual-first care model to reach and engage more of the 30 million Americans who will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime — 80-90% of whom will not get care today. The round was led by Greycroft and BBG Ventures with participation from Wireframe Ventures, Cityblock co-founder Iyah Romm (he/him) and Sonder Health founder Sylvia Romm, MD, MPH (she/her), and PatientPing founder Jay Desai (he/him), among others.
Arise will bring integrated community and clinical care to people living with disordered eating and eating disorders, which are a category of conditions that can show up in different ways for people — including binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, rumination disorder, avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other conditions. The company’s care model is designed to also address the past and current life circumstances and underlying conditions that can contribute to and exist alongside eating disorders — including trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
"Eating disorders are complex, and they look different for everyone. They’re rarely about just food or body image alone, but also deeply connected to psychosocial factors, social determinants of health, and past experiences and traumas. Today’s systems of care are not set up to address all of this together," said Arise co-founder and CEO Amanda D’Ambra (she/her). "We believe that by bringing together community and clinical care we can expand access to people who have been less likely to get support — because everyone should have the chance to heal."
In addition to overcoming access barriers and broadening care options to best serve the complexity of eating disorders, Arise aims to expand access to the diverse populations of people experiencing eating disorders — including boys and men, people who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, transgender, and gender-nonconforming+, those who live in larger bodies, who are neurodivergent or disabled, and others.
"The reality is that in today’s world, it’s a privilege to heal from an eating disorder. Stigma makes it difficult for people to identify their eating disorder and this is magnified when your families and communities don’t have language to describe, let alone identify, the eating disorder. People who defy these odds and courageously seek out support are often confronted by how overwhelming, expensive, and inaccessible treatment can be — so they often end up struggling for years," said Arise co-founder and Chief Product Officer Joan Zhang (she/her). "With Arise, we aim to break down these barriers so that more people have access to care that validates their lived experiences and supports them on their path to long-term healing."
Arise launches at a time when eating disorders, which are the second deadliest behavioral health condition after opioid use disorder, are sharply increasing. Even before Covid-19 triggered a global mental health crisis, a 2019 study found that rates of eating disorders are at least four times higher than previously thought, making them comparable to drug use disorders.
"We’ve all felt the real mental health toll these past couple of years, and rates of eating disorders are skyrocketing," said BBG Ventures managing partner Nisha Dua. "Arise is tackling the enormous need for expanded care to populations who have been underserved. As our country takes on this growing mental health crisis, we are investing in solutions that offer effective care that can both meet people’s individual needs and scale. Arise is positioned to do just that."
By addressing a broad spectrum of needs and acuity levels, the company aims to reduce the $11.3 billion annual cost burden on the healthcare system and for informal care, and mitigate the $363 million people spend in out-of-pocket costs every year. The company expects to partner with commercial health plans and Medicaid to make its services accessible and affordable for those who need it.
Arise plans to launch a beta program on its community care in late summer 2022, followed by its full care model with clinical services in the fall. The company says they will initially see people 16+ in the fall and those interested in signing up can do so at wearise.com. Health plans and providers interested in partnering can reach out to partnerships@wearise.com.
Amanda D’Ambra
CEO and Co-Founder, Arise
340259@email4pr.com
+1 914-294-5136
Arise is bringing people virtual-first, person-centered support for disordered eating, eating disorders, and mental health. At a time when over 30 million Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, but up to 90% won’t get care, Arise aims to shatter the stereotype of what eating disorders "look like" and expand access. Through virtual care pathways, community, and ongoing support, Arise brings people the right care, when and where they need it. Founded by digital health entrepreneurs Amanda D’Ambra and Joan Zhang out of their own personal experiences, Arise is empowering effective support for people to heal their body and mind. Learn more about Arise at wearise.com.
BBG Ventures is an early-stage fund backing big ideas that will transform the way we live. BBGV focuses on female founders who intuitively understand the dominant consumer and use that understanding to address the collective or lived experience of the 99%. BBGV looks for companies that drive change across some of the biggest categories of consumer spending that are ripe for reinvention: Health and Wellbeing, Future of Education and Work, Climate-Friendly Consumption, Overlooked & Emerging Consumers. BBGV has invested in over 100 female-led startups since inception. Learn more at bbgventures.com.
Greycroft is a seed-to-growth venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs of all backgrounds to build category-defining companies. We have deep experience investing in consumer, enterprise, digital health, and fintech sectors around the globe and work as a team to support and advise entrepreneurs, empowering them to execute on their visions. Greycroft manages over $2 billion in capital raised and has made over 200 investments since inception. For more information, please visit greycroft.com.
Wireframe Ventures backs mission-driven founders using advanced technology or unique market insight to dramatically improve the health of people and planet. We invest across climate tech & sustainability, digital health, tech-bio, transportation, retail, agriculture and more. We are 1st check investors with a service-oriented approach to partnering with our portfolio companies from Day 1. Together, we can build a healthier & more sustainable future. Learn more at www.wireframevc.com.
SOURCE Arise
