America’s particular schooling system faces a disaster that jeopardizes the futures of tens of millions of scholars. With 7.5M college students requiring specialised providers yearly and persistent shortages of speech-language pathologists, college psychologists, and particular educators, districts spend over $100B but wrestle to satisfy legally mandated necessities beneath IDEA. The staffing disaster has created huge backlogs, leaving college students ready months for evaluations whereas overwhelmed lecturers report spending half their workdays on paperwork quite than instruction. Parallel Studying addresses this systemic breakdown via its digital supply platform, connecting districts with licensed specialists who present assessments, remedy, and instruction via a technology-enabled mannequin that reduces preparation time by as much as 50%. The corporate’s proprietary Pathway platform combines safe teletherapy with AI-powered progress monitoring and medical oversight, enabling districts to keep up compliance whereas delivering measurable scholar outcomes—98% of scholars utilizing Parallel’s providers met or exceeded their IEP objectives through the 2024-2025 college yr. Parallel serves over 10,000 college students throughout 25 states and plans nationwide enlargement to achieve all 50 states inside two years.
AlleyWatch sat down with Parallel Founder and CEO Diana Heldfond DiGia to be taught extra in regards to the enterprise, its future plans, latest funding spherical that brings the corporate’s complete funding raised to $48.9M, and far, way more…
Who had been your buyers and the way a lot did you increase?
Parallel Studying raised a $20M Sequence B funding spherical. The spherical was led by Valspring Capital, with extra capital supplied by current investor Rethink Influence.
Inform us in regards to the services or products that Parallel Studying affords.
Parallel addresses the urgent challenges inside the particular schooling system, which represents a considerable portion of district spending and serves 15% of scholars who require personalised lodging and providers. As an progressive digital market and software program platform, Parallel streamlines psychological evaluations and help providers by integrating cutting-edge expertise with unparalleled medical experience. Its supplier community consists of certified specialists at school psychology, speech-language pathology, particular schooling instructing, and case administration.
By way of Parallel’s proprietary software program, evaluation administration time and repair preparation are lowered by as much as 50%, whereas its platform, Pathway, incorporates curated curricula from main publishers resembling Pearson and Riverside Insights to raise session high quality and drive significant outcomes.
By partnering with Parallel, faculties and districts optimize sources, attain extra college students with important providers, and enhance outcomes. In the end, Parallel’s mission is to rework the lives of the one in 5 college students with studying or pondering variations whereas bringing larger effectivity and fairness to a fragmented particular schooling system.
What impressed the beginning of Parallel Studying?
My private journey impressed parallel. From the age of seven, I sensed I wasn’t progressing like my friends and was quickly identified with extreme dyslexia and ADHD. What adopted had been years of problem, frustration, and in the end profound progress, because of the unwavering help of my dad and mom, educators, and champions who helped me construct the abilities and confidence to succeed.
It wasn’t till maturity that I totally acknowledged each the transformative impression of that help and the deep inequities confronted by college students who by no means obtain it. Parallel exists as a result of I consider no baby’s future ought to rely on luck; my story is the inspiration of an organization devoted to making sure each learner has entry to the experience, instruments, and encouragement they should thrive.
How is Parallel Studying completely different?
Parallel’s newest outcomes knowledge tells the story: 98% of scholars met or exceeded their IEP objectives in 2024-2025, with greater than 70% making faster-than-expected progress. This stage of consistency is uncommon in particular schooling providers—and it’s by design.
Parallel was constructed round a basic perception: that expertise ought to improve medical high quality, not exchange it. Our proprietary platform, Pathway, combines AI-driven progress monitoring with rigorous medical oversight to make sure each session drives measurable scholar progress. Whereas many rivals scale by spreading skinny throughout all 50 states, Parallel has taken a distinct strategy—specializing in choose markets the place it might probably preserve deep district partnerships, guarantee compliance, and ship the type of hands-on help that really strikes the needle. Parallel additionally invests closely in its supplier community via mandated service hours, year-round skilled improvement, and persevering with schooling credit.
The results of all this isn’t simply glad districts—it’s demonstrable scholar outcomes that stand as much as the accountability requirements particular schooling was all the time meant to realize.
What market does Parallel Studying goal and the way large is it?
Parallel targets the Okay–12 particular schooling providers market—particularly college districts which are legally required to offer assessments, remedy, counseling, and specialised instruction beneath IDEA. Districts depend on exterior companions like Parallel to shut staffing gaps, keep compliant, and ship mandated providers on time.
This market is each massive and structurally sturdy:
- 5 million college students within the U.S. obtain particular schooling providers every year.
- Districts spend $100B+ spent yearly and $60B+ on “Direct instruction and associated providers inside public faculties, school-aged applications”
- The digital and hybrid particular schooling providers phase is likely one of the fastest-growing areas, pushed by persistent shortages of SLPs, college psychologists, and particular schooling lecturers, and by districts’ want for real-time progress monitoring and documentation.
As a result of particular schooling is federally mandated—not discretionary—the demand for high-quality providers stays steady and countercyclical, even throughout financial or political shifts.
What’s your enterprise mannequin?
We ship a full suite of digital particular schooling providers—together with psychoeducational assessments, speech-language pathology, behavioral and psychological well being counseling, and Specifically Designed Instruction (SDI)—via our proprietary digital platform, Pathway. Our mannequin pairs top-tier licensed suppliers with college districts, and each supplier is supported and overseen by our inner medical administration groups to make sure high quality, compliance, and scholar progress.
Districts contract with Parallel to satisfy their legally-mandated particular schooling necessities, and we provide the staffing, expertise, documentation, and oversight wanted to ship these providers effectively and at scale. Briefly: Parallel combines knowledgeable clinicians with cutting-edge expertise to assist districts meet IDEA obligations, shut staffing gaps, and enhance outcomes for college students with studying and pondering variations.
How are you making ready for a possible financial slowdown?
We’re much more centered on shifts in authorities funding, each domestically and on the state and federal ranges. Particular schooling is protected by federal regulation, and IDEA necessities don’t pause—no matter funding ranges, political transitions, and even federal shutdowns.
Even when companies can’t function with out funding, districts are nonetheless legally required to ship each service and meet each IEP timeline. Funding might fluctuate, however statutory mandates don’t—which implies our providers stay important, not discretionary.
Even when companies can’t function with out funding, districts are nonetheless legally required to ship each service and meet each IEP timeline. Funding might fluctuate, however statutory mandates don’t—which implies our providers stay important, not discretionary.
Due to this, we’re making ready by doubling down on what districts want most in moments of uncertainty:
- Constant, uninterrupted service supply
- Actual-time documentation and progress monitoring so nothing falls behind
- Clear compliance help to assist districts keep away from corrective motion later
Relatively than bracing for an financial slowdown, we’re planning for presidency volatility—and positioning Parallel because the steady, compliant, totally documented associate districts depend on to remain on-schedule and in alignment with federal regulation.
What was the funding course of like?
This course of positively differed from previous fundraises on the peak of startup funding in 2020 and 2021. That mentioned, actual winners who’re delivering on the promise of best-in-class outcomes paired with actual progress and capital effectivity are getting funded, and we’re proud to be within the pack.
We’re thrilled to associate with Valspring Capital on this spherical and welcome Yumin Choi, among the finest healthcare buyers on the market to our Board.
What are the largest challenges that you just confronted whereas elevating capital?
The first problem was navigating extreme macroeconomic and coverage uncertainty within the schooling sector. Whereas Parallel demonstrated robust progress and distinctive outcomes, we had been fundraising throughout a interval when proposed adjustments to the Division of Training created widespread concern amongst our clients, trade companions, and buyers. The issue wasn’t proving our enterprise mannequin, however quite convincing buyers to keep up conviction in education-focused firms amid acute political volatility.
What elements about your enterprise led your buyers to write down the verify?
Our buyers had been compelled by three core elements: the large unmet want we handle, the truth that our providers are federally mandated, and the numerous staffing and entry inequities that create a transparent market alternative. Whereas Valspring is primarily a healthcare investor new to the Okay-12 area, they acknowledged parallels to profitable firms of their portfolio that function in equally complicated, regulated environments with robust unit economics. Their expertise scaling healthcare companies serving underserved populations translated effectively to understanding our mission and progress potential in schooling.
What are the milestones you intend to realize within the subsequent six months?
Our quick priorities embrace increasing into new states and scaling our new service choices, significantly Specifically Designed Instruction, to satisfy rising demand. We’re additionally launching spring pilots in January that can permit new college districts to check our providers earlier than committing for the upcoming college yr.
These initiatives will place us to enter the following educational yr with considerably expanded capability, a broader service portfolio, and a stronger pipeline of validated buyer relationships.
What recommendation are you able to provide firms in New York that do not need a recent injection of capital within the financial institution?
Hunker down and focus ruthlessly on what’s already working. Reduce prices that don’t straight drive progress, resist the temptation to experiment with new initiatives, and double down in your confirmed mannequin.
And by the best way, that recommendation holds true even when there’s cash within the financial institution! Our focus is now on taking very calculated bets that we consider will drive significant ROI for our clients and supplier community.
The place do you see the corporate going now over the close to time period?
We’re heads down on geographic enlargement into new states whereas concurrently deepening our partnerships and presence in current markets. Our focus is on being higher companions to districts daily by listening carefully to their wants, refining our providers, and proving we’re an indispensable useful resource for his or her college students.
What’s your favourite winter vacation spot in and across the metropolis?
Union Sq. Vacation Market—it’s proper across the nook from Parallel’s workplace!
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