Forta Health to Shut All ABA Services by January 15, 2027, With Rolling Layoffs

Forta Health will end all applied behavior analysis services by January 15, 2027, with rolling layoffs until then, Bhbusiness reported on November 3, 2026. The San Francisco-based digital autism therapy startup cited payer and legislative challenges in a memo obtained by the outlet. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Forta's Memo and the Wind-Down Plan

The memo said the decision followed ongoing difficulty with payer and legislative acceptance of Forta's services. "We also explored transitioning to a fully in-person model but determined that it was not operationally or financially feasible," it stated. Forta did not lay off staff immediately; it will reduce headcount as clients move to other providers and caseloads shrink, letting go of all BCBAs and RBTs on January 15. Staffers met with leadership on a Monday at 11 a.m. and were told layoffs would be rolling until the final date, sources told Bhbusiness. A person who answered the company's main phone number said its last day was January 15, and families are being notified.

Forta was founded in 2021 and first built a virtual model in which BCBAs oversaw therapy delivered by parents trained as RBTs, a model the Behavior Analyst Certification Board ethics code treated as a violation. The company later left that model behind. In August 2024, Bhbusiness reported that Forta had stopped paying parents, a few months after a $55 million funding round. Forta's website lists virtual parent-led ABA in 47 states and Washington, D.C., plus an in-home line in select Texas and Ohio metros. "You have helped children develop meaningful skills, supported caregivers, and made therapy accessible to families who might otherwise have gone without services," the memo stated.

Forta's Funding and Clinical Record

Forta raised a $55 million Series A led by Insight Partners, with participation from Exor Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Trailmix Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Gaingels, Asymmetric Capital Partners, Launch Bay Capital, The House Fund and consumer-tech founders, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list two funding rounds and total funding of $55 million at the Series A stage, with the last round dated October 23, 2023. Forta published peer-reviewed clinical outcomes research in the Cureus Journal in April 2024 showing 76% of clients achieved improved therapy goal outcomes versus traditional approaches, the records show. The records also list a 2026 expansion of virtual-backed in-home ABA to Greenville, South Carolina, extending an existing Texas footprint in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Forta's January 15 Deadline

Forta's services end on January 15, 2027, the date the company gave by phone and the deadline named in the memo. The memo said some answers may not be available immediately and that Forta is committed to sharing updates as decisions are made.