Akili Interactive Raises $55 Million to Market Video Game Used to Treat ADHD
A video game designed to help children manage ADHD symptoms will be made available soon, following a parent company announcement that it has raised several million dollars for game development.
May 10, 2018
Less than six months after publishing the results of a successful study, the company behind a therapeutic video game — dubbed “digital medicine” for ADHD — has raised $55 million to bring the treatment tool to the general public. The company, Akili Interactive, announced the financing in a statement released yesterday.
The video game (known as AKL-T01) previously had been tested by more than 300 children in a randomized, double-blind study, published in December of 2017. The children who played the video game — which is designed to activate certain parts of the brain’s prefrontal cortex as it’s played — performed significantly better on tests of attention than did children who played a non-therapeutic “control” game.
After the study’s release, Akili announced it would seek FDA clearance for the game in hopes of becoming the first prescription digital treatment for children with ADHD. After the announcement, the company embarked on a round of Series C funding, and investors — including Temasek, Baillie Gifford, Amgen, and Merck KGaA — invested $55 million to develop and market the tool. The investment funds will be used to advance the game through “key regulatory milestones and to prepare for commercial launch,” according to the company’s press release.
Akili expects to file for FDA clearance later this year. The company is also developing games aimed at children with autism and at adults with depression; those are still in the research phases.
