Autism Impact Fund and Arsenal Form Strategic Partnership

Leading investment and innovation arm of the autism community collaborating with leading private equity firm and experienced behavioral health investor to identify and grow impactful businesses in the autism space

May 24, 2022

New York, NY- The Autism Impact Fund (“AIF”), whose mission is to revolutionize the status quo for diagnosing, treating, and living with autism through a venture capital model, and Arsenal Capital Partners (“Arsenal”), a leading private equity firm specializing in building transformational businesses across healthcare, have entered into a strategic partnership. AIF and Arsenal will share their respective expert networks and diligence resources to pursue innovative investment opportunities in the growing behavioral health market.

Founded in 2021, AIF has invested in 10 companies, including early-stage and growth businesses. AIF makes direct investments across diverse sectors and stages of financing, and is guided by four key values: 1) invest in companies that will produce significant advancements in quality of life for the Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”) community; 2) provide access to best-in-class services, diagnostics, and therapeutics; 3) apply rigorous investing criteria to deliver returns not only to investors but to all stakeholders, including ASD individuals and their families; 4) rewrite the impact investing equation, overlaying financial discipline and proven business strategies with scientific acumen to improve the status quo for individuals with autism.

“Our ambition for the Autism Impact Fund is to be the investment and innovation arm of the autism community, and through this relationship with Arsenal, we will provide diligence and strategy support in connection with potential investments in the space,” said Chris Male, AIF Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Arsenal is one of the most successful and highly respected healthcare private equity firms, and we believe our new strategic partnership will benefit a broad range of stakeholders,” added Mr. Male.

Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has invested in and built 16 companies across the healthcare sector by applying its deep domain and technical expertise across the healthcare ecosystem. In 2019, Arsenal completed the acquisition of Hopebridge, the leading center-based provider of behavioral health services for children affected by ASD. Founded in 2005, Hopebridge has developed a proprietary care model which includes personalized, comprehensive outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”), as well as occupational, speech, and feeding therapies for children with ASD or affected by other behavioral, physical, social, communication, and sensory challenges. Over the last three years, Hopebridge has meaningfully increased the amount of children whom they serve, expanding operations through the opening of de novo facilities as well as acquisition, and growing from 33 centers at time of investment to over 100 centers across 12 states today.

“At Arsenal, we are focused on building high-growth, highly advantaged businesses that improve our healthcare system, and we believe that this strategic relationship with AIF will significantly advance our efforts to build market-leading companies in the behavioral health sector,” said John DiGiovanni, an Investment Partner of Arsenal. “We are proud of our partnership with Hopebridge, which is providing therapeutic support to over 4,000 children today, and we are excited to partner with AIF to continue to build our knowledge base and investment portfolio in the behavioral health sector.”

About The Autism Impact Fund
The Autism Impact Fund (“AIF”) seeks to become the investment and innovation arm of the autism community. AIF's mission is to revolutionize the status quo for diagnosing, treating, and living with autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, mental health challenges, and other complex chronic conditions. Through a venture capital model, AIF accelerates the development and delivery of emerging technologies, translational science, and innovative services to empower individuals to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.autismimpact.fund.

Media Contacts:

AIF
Dan Tarman
dan@autismimpact.fund