This week’s spotlight rests upon the child mental care sector as child autism intervention agency Siyecao Dami secured funding in a Series-A round.
On May 17th, Shenzhen-based child autism intervention agency Siyecao Dami (Dami & Xiaomi) landed USD 4.6 million in Series-A funding led by Shenzhen Fortune VC, pushing a considerably lesser-known industry into the ken of investors. The fresh capital will be invested in technology import, R&D, and the establishment of new community agencies.
Founded in 2014 by former investigative journalist Jiang Yingshuang (who is also known as Dami), Dami & Xiaomi has primarily been a popular science blog, one aiming to familiarize the public with the Autism Spectrum Disorder. So far, it has published near 1,000 articles, providing professional intervention and diagnosis for developmentally delayed children and special social groups.
The blog, now grown into an icon media outlet for children ASD and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, also serves as a community in which parents and industry personnels can channel information and insights.
Having launched its first recovery center in China’s southern city of Shenzhen in 2016, Dami & Xiaomi is currently equipped with four intervention training centers in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
According to its official website, the agency offers various courses in child education and family bonding, priced from USD 19.5 to USD 90.6. Founder Dami said that the courses are based on the Early Start Denver Model with a dozen of BCBA-licensed autism recovery coaches.
In 2016, China reported more than 10 million cases of autism amongst its population, in which children under 14 exceeded two million. If each child costs USD 5,800 per year on average for medical recovery, early-stage intervention might suggest a market of tens of billion dollars, surfacing as a promising landscape for capitals to tap in. Niches within the human behavior sector like autism usually draw investors’ interests, given less competition.
Other local early intervention autism centers include Peking University Children Development Center, Beijing Wucailu Center, Stars and Rain NGO education organization, etc.
(Top photo from unsplash.com)