Seven Starling, a virtual women’s behavioral health company, has secured $8 million in funding to help expand its maternal mental health platform, it announced on Thursday.
Washington, D.C.-based Seven Starling specializes in perinatal mental healthcare and addresses challenges related to fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, postpartum and early parenthood. Women are usually referred to the company by their OBGYN and then are paired up with a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health.
Patients also get access to group therapy, medication management services, a patient advocate and in-app content and exercises. The company is in network with most major commercial plans, including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna.
Its $8 million raise was led by Rethink Impact and included participation from Pear VC, Zeal Capital Partners, Magnify Ventures, Ulu Ventures, Expa, Fiore Ventures, the March of Dimes, Rogue Women’s Fund and Graham & Walker. Seven Starling has raised $22 million in total.
“Maternal mental health represents a massive market failure – high costs, poor outcomes, and critically underserved populations – and is ripe for disruption,” said Jenny Abramson, founder and managing partner of Rethink Impact, in a statement. “Seven Starling’s tech enabled integrated model tackles one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges with measurable results. This is healthcare innovation that actually moves the needle.”
The financing will help accelerate Seven Starling’s national expansion. Currently, the company operates in 18 states in partnership with 1,500 OBGYNs.
“Seven Starling has proven clinical outcomes, strong provider partnerships, and payer coverage in place, and the time is right to bring our model to more women,” said Tina Keshani, CEO and co-founder of Seven Starling, in an email. “With Rethink Impact’s backing, we can expand into over 30 states by the end of 2026, continue to build innovative technology to further personalize the patient experience, and grow our partnerships with health systems and health plans.”
The company has delivered some positive results through its platform, with 90% of patients experiencing clinical improvement. In addition, 96% of patients are able to use in-network coverage with copays between $0 and $30. About 37% of its patients identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), as do half of its clinicians.
Currently, one in five women are affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, but 75% of diagnosed women are unable to access treatment due to issues like provider shortages and lack of coverage. That’s what Seven Starling hopes to solve.
“Our vision is to become the go-to destination for women’s mental health, tackling the unique mental health needs that women have throughout their lives,” Keshani said. “We are starting with a focus on maternal mental health, a moment when many women are dealing with acute mental health challenges for the very first time, and see so much opportunity already to continue to grow with our patients.”
Other women’s mental health companies include Mavida Health and LunaJoy.
Photo: Ridofranz, Getty Images
