Healthtech start-up Butterfly Learnings raises $1.5 mn in seed funding

Round saw participation from Insitor Partners, 9Unicorns, Venture Catalysts and a clutch of other investors

Pediatric development and behaviour health platform, Butterfly Learnings, has raised $1.5 million in a seed round from Insitor Partners, 9Unicorns, Venture Catalysts, Fondation Botnar and UTIL Stiftung (both foundations represented by Sagana Capital), and CIIE.CO.

The funds raised will be used to build and scale the digital product and expand the firm’s physical footprint across India.

“There is a huge unmet need in India for behavioural health for children in the 2-8-year age bracket. We at Butterfly Learnings are using an evidence-based approach to deliver better outcomes to children and their families,” said Dr Sonam Kothari, co-founder and CEO of Butterfly Learnings.

Founded in 2021 by Kothari and Dr Abhishek Sen, Butterfly Learnings uses techniques such as Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy via an integrated in-person and digital platform to solve developmental issues and behavioural health challenges in children.

“Paediatric behavioural healthcare in India is far less accessible than adult healthcare, with an estimated three million children suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder in the country. The vast majority of these children are never diagnosed and consequently never treated. Butterfly Learnings was founded to address this huge unmet need and formalise access to comprehensive quality care in a sector that remains fragmented and underpenetrated,” said Megha Jain, Insitor Partners, an impact investment firm.

“Paediatric behavioural healthcare is on the rise not only in India but globally as well. According to global reports, one in seven kids aged below 15 feels depressed. Besides, post Covid, there has been a spike in such incidents but there are many pediatric therapists in the country who still believe mental health is taboo. We are extremely happy to find Butterfly Learnings that is using technology in not only diagnosing such problems amongst kids but also using data science to treat these kids that are the future of any economy,” said Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, co-founder of Venture Catalysts and 9Unicorns.

Butterfly Learnings currently has four physical centres in Mumbai and Thane and is looking to scale its services across the country. It hopes to deliver improved clinical outcomes to over 2,000 children and families in 2022.