Onrise Closes Funding Round Led by Wildwood Ventures and Crescent Ridge Partners to Expand Athlete Mental Health Care

Care platform scale human-centered, technology-enabled mental health services that are affordable to organizations dedicated to caring for their athletes.

KNOXVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, August 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Onrise, the leading athlete-specific platform providing mental health care to elite youth, college, and professional sports organizations, today announced the successful completion of its funding round led by Wildwood Ventures and Crescent Ridge Partners. The investment will accelerate Onrise's mission to make high-quality mental health care accessible and affordable for athletes at all levels.

Since its founding, Onrise has demonstrated remarkable growth, serving athletes across 11 sports through partnerships with major organizations including Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA), the USL Players Association Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), and Major League Rugby (MLR), among others. Onrise is also expanding into Canada and the UK.

"This funding validates our human-centered approach to athlete mental health and the tremendous interest that investors have in making the world a better place." said Kim Quigley, MD, CEO and co-founder of Onrise. "While the industry moves toward purely tech solutions, we've proven with our hybrid approach that athletes respond to genuine therapeutic relationships with licensed clinicians and peer support from retired athletes who understand their unique challenges. We equip our humans with the most efficient processes possible and use a wide range of technology to allow our humans with shared experience to be more human," explained Dr. Quigley. "This approach creates the perfect balance of leveraging technology for efficiency while preserving the authentic human connections that drive real healing and safety."

Onrise's differentiated model combines licensed mental health professionals with retired athletes trained in peer support, offering 24/7/365 crisis services and 48-hour access to care through secure virtual sessions. The platform has achieved exceptional clinical outcomes, with athletes with moderate to severe depression showing an average 4.5-point decrease in depression scores (PHQ-4) and reporting "much improved" status on clinical improvement scales.

The company's year-over-year utilization growth of 36-340% across partner organizations demonstrates strong product-market fit, contrasting sharply with the 50-70% engagement decline typical in traditional sports technology solutions.

Strategic Investor Alignment

The funding round brings together investors whose missions align perfectly with Onrise's approach to athlete wellbeing. Denver-based Wildwood Ventures focuses on investing in health—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—as foundational to human flourishing, recognizing that despite unprecedented connectivity and resources, society faces historic levels of loneliness, chronic illness, anxiety, and disconnection.

Southern California-based Crescent Ridge Partners operates under a philosophy of 4D wealth creation, defining success across four dimensions: generating superior financial returns while deepening human relationships, positively impacting society, and creating something novel.

Expanding Access and Impact

The funding will support Onrise's strategic focus on college and university athletic departments while maintaining its strong presence in professional sports. The company plans to enhance its technology platform, expand its network of licensed clinicians and retired athlete peer supporters, and develop additional specialized programs.

"We are transforming athletic culture," added Dr. Quigley. "Our data shows that when athletes feel safe accessing mental health support, utilization increases dramatically year over year. This represents a fundamental shift in how sports organizations approach athlete wellbeing."

Angel Investment Opportunity

Kim Quigley, MD emphasized that Onrise remains open to strategic angel investors who share the company's mission: "We welcome angel investors who have a strong personal reason for supporting and building in the area of mental health for athletes. My angel investors, such as the Georgetown Angel Investor Network and others have been transformational for me as a founder. The cap table is one of the most important things you create as a founder. Do that well and you can't lose. As a psychiatrist, a woman in my 40s and a mom, I have spent considerable time deciding who I want as investors in such an impact driven company. That has made all of the difference for us and it will save the lives of countless families' children."

"If you're passionate about saving young athletes' lives and transforming sports experience for athletes everywhere, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact us at info@onrisecare.com."

About Onrise

Co-founded by Dr. Kim Quigley, Onrise provides comprehensive mental health care and support services specifically tailored for athletes through a 100% virtual, 100% private virtual platform. The company serves teams, clubs, leagues, and players' associations at elite youth, college, and professional levels, offering customized programs that fit any size and budget. Services include peer support, therapy, psychiatric care, crisis intervention, nutrition counseling, and sports performance support.

For more information about Onrise, visit www.onrise.care or contact info@onrisecare.com | 865-288-8970.
Media Contact:
Kimberly Quigley, MD
CEO
Onrise
Phone: 865-288-8970
Email: info@onrisecare.com

Kimberly Quigley
Onrise
+1 865-360-7114
email us here

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