Cartwheel announced it has become America’s largest K-12 mental health provider after nearly 300% year-over-year growth in new school-district partnerships, bringing its reach to 350 school districts across 15 states. The company, which provides telehealth-based mental health services for students, families, and school staff, also said it has formed partnerships with state departments of health and education in Arizona, Georgia, and Virginia.
The company announced a significant Series B financing led by A-Street, which it said will accelerate its mission. Cartwheel said the round included new investors Citi Impact Fund, Britebound, and the American Heart Association, alongside existing backers including Menlo Ventures, General Catalyst, Reach Capital, and Able Partners. Cartwheel said the investment was raised last summer.
Cartwheel framed its growth around a school-centered delivery model designed to reduce wait times and coordinate closely with districts. The company said school counselors can refer students to clinical services with no waitlists, with licensed clinicians providing individual therapy, family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management, as well as proprietary specialty programs. Cartwheel said it operates year-round with extended hours, allowing care to take place at home or at school during evenings, weekends, and school breaks, and that services are covered by families’ insurance at no additional cost to most families.
Cartwheel also published outcomes data it said show improvements in both clinical and education metrics. The company reported that 58% of students experience full remission from anxiety compared with a 33% industry average for traditional telehealth, along with a threefold reduction in students with moderate to severe depression. It also reported a 62% reduction in absences per student, moving from 16 absences before care to 6 after care, and a 68% reduction in suspensions for students with prior disciplinary history.
The company attributed its results partly to a collaborative operating model that embeds support alongside school personnel. Cartwheel said it uses dedicated Clinical Program Managers to consult on student cases, crisis management, and impact analysis, and bilingual Care Coordinators to help families with scheduling, insurance navigation, and coordination with other providers. Cartwheel said this approach has produced a 70% referral-to-care conversion rate, more than double the industry average.
Cartwheel said its HIPAA and FERPA-compliant technology platform enables referrals, progress tracking, and clinician collaboration for schools, and streamlined intake, scheduling, and communication for families. The company also said district leaders can access real-time dashboards tracking access to care, engagement, clinical and educational outcomes, and return on investment.
Alongside the funding, Cartwheel said it has added three senior leaders. Sarah Turrin joined as chief product officer after serving as chief product officer at Color Health and holding prior product leadership roles at OneMedical and Lantern Health. Sam Bilow joined as vice president of finance after working at Rubicon Founders. Sarah Shoff joined as vice president of customer success after 15 years in edtech startups, including seven years at Udemy, leading implementation and customer success teams for the Americas.
Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel said it accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicaid, and provides care at no cost to uninsured families.
KEY QUOTES:
“Cartwheel is fundamentally changing how youth and families access the mental health support they need to succeed in school and in life. By partnering with parents and schools as trusted allies, we’ve created a new standard for mental health that delivers measurably better outcomes at a significantly lower cost.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with A-Street in this next chapter. They know schools, they know what it takes to scale with quality, and they share our conviction that every kid deserves access to excellent mental health care. We’re excited to build the future of school-based healthcare together.”
Joe English, Co-Founder And CEO, Cartwheel
“Cartwheel has exceeded expectations. Over the past two years, Cartwheel has become an indispensable partner in addressing student attendance, behavior, and mental health challenges, and it has our wholehearted endorsement for work with schools and states across the nation.”
Dr. Alexander U. Ikejiaku, Associate Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools (Illinois)
“Mental health and academic success are intrinsically linked, and yet far too many students still lack the support they need to thrive in the classroom. Cartwheel is addressing this gap with an innovative model that expands access to timely, evidence-based care and removes common barriers such as stigma, cost and scheduling, and we are excited to support their efforts to strengthen both student well-being and educational outcomes.”
Emily McGinty, Managing Director, A-Street
“What sets Cartwheel apart is not just the strength of its outcomes, but its ability to scale a deeply collaborative model across diverse school systems. The team has built the infrastructure, clinical rigor, and trust with schools required to operate at national scale, and we believe Cartwheel is uniquely positioned to become an indispensable partner for schools nationwide, ensuring students have access to high-quality mental health care.
Mora Segal, Managing Director, A-Street
