NASCEND

What NASCEND does

NASCEND is a Louisville, Kentucky-based clinical solutions, training, and technology company focused on improving the care and outcomes of opioid-exposed infants and substance-affected pregnancies. It sells a multi-product platform organized around the proprietary Forbes OEI Continuum of Care, which spans the first trimester through 3-year pediatric follow-up. The core technology is Forbes AssessPro, an interactive, nurse-directed web application that replaces subjective NAS scoring with objective, algorithm-driven assessment and dual-medication treatment recommendations; supporting products include NASCEND Learn (a gamified, on-demand e-learning platform with CE/CME and MOC credits), NASCEND PocketCards ($29.99 vinyl bedside reference cards), the Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program (competency-based, stackable individual and hospital credentialing), NASCEND Live training events, and NASCEND Consult implementation services.

The company monetizes through a hybrid of enterprise contracts (quote-based hospital-level certification and consulting), individual clinician purchases (PocketCards, NASCEND Learn access codes, individual certification), and content-driven demand generation (website, newsletter, conference presentations). Go-to-market is primarily direct sales to U.S. hospitals, NICUs, and individual healthcare providers across 48+ states, supplemented by self-serve e-commerce. NASCEND is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation and is B Corp and Canopy certified, with no institutional investors or parent company disclosed; it is led by founder/CEO Dr. K. Dawn Forbes, a board-certified neonatologist with 32 years of clinical experience, alongside a CTO, Director of Operations, Director of Clinical Operations, and an Education & Technology Consultant.

Name

NASCEND

Legal name

NASCEND Public Benefit Corporation

Website

https://nascend.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NASCEND is a Louisville-based clinical solutions, training, and technology company that provides the Forbes AssessPro web application, NASCEND Learn e-learning platform, PocketCards, and a competency-based OEI certification program to hospitals, NICUs, and individual healthcare providers caring for opioid-exposed infants and substance-affected pregnancies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neonatal Care Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medication Adherence, Digital Therapeutics & Remote Coaching (condition-specific programs) (HLALAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medication Adherence & Therapy Management Platforms (refills, reminders, MTM) (HLALAIAG)

Keywords

• Neonatal care technology
• Clinical assessment software
• Healthcare certification programs
• Continuing medical education
• Substance-exposed infant care

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Training & Certification Programs: Revenue from individual and hospital-level certification programs including the Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program. Programs include expert-led training with CE/CME and MOC credit backed by third-party credentialing.
2. Online Learning Platform (NASCEND Learn): Subscription or access-based model for comprehensive on-demand, gamified e-learning for healthcare providers. The platform offers continuing education credits to support ongoing professional growth.
3. PocketCards Sales: One-time purchase of physical vinyl reference cards for healthcare providers at $29.99 per set.
4. Consulting Services (NASCEND Consult): Consulting services offered to healthcare facilities for implementing NASCEND solutions, training programs, and quality improvement initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NASCEND develops and sells a clinical assessment software platform (Forbes AssessPro) combined with certification programs, e-learning modules, and consulting services for healthcare providers caring for opioid-exposed infants and substance-affected pregnancies. The proprietary nurse-directed web application delivers objective, algorithm-driven assessment and dual-medication treatment guidance, supported by competency-based certification (Forbes OEI Continuum), an on-demand gamified learning platform (NASCEND Learn), and bedside reference tools (PocketCards).

Product overview

NASCEND is an innovative clinical solutions, training, and technology company dedicated to improving care and outcomes for opioid-exposed infants. Its product portfolio is organized as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture anchored by the NASCEND Continuum of Care, which spans pregnancy through 3-year pediatric follow-up. The core technology product is Forbes AssessPro, an interactive nurse-directed web application that delivers real-time, objective, algorithm-driven assessment and treatment guidance for opioid-exposed newborns. Supporting the technology are two training and reference products: NASCEND Learn (a comprehensive, gamified e-learning platform with expert-developed modules, videos, quizzes, and CE/CME/MOC credits) and NASCEND PocketCards (durable vinyl bedside reference cards covering key clinical topics). The Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program provides competency-based, stackable certification for individual providers and hospital systems, with multi-modal delivery including live, virtual, gamified, and asynchronous formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forbes AssessPro: Interactive, nurse-directed web application for objective, algorithm-driven assessment of opioid-exposed newborns, replacing subjective scoring with real-time treatment recommendations.
• NASCEND Learn
• NASCEND Live
• NASCEND Consult
• NASCEND PocketCards
• Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program

Products and services

• Forbes AssessPro The first interactive, nurse-directed web application that delivers real-time, objective, algorithm-driven assessment of opioid-exposed newborns (OEI/NOWS), replacing subjective scoring with bias-reducing, standardized, comfort-first assessments and dual-medication treatment recommendations built by neonatologists. It is designed for bedside clinical teams (nurses, NPs, physicians) in hospitals and healthcare systems.
• NASCEND Learn A comprehensive, on-demand, gamified e-learning platform that delivers expert-developed training modules through videos, quizzes, handouts, guidelines, and interactive activities. Targets healthcare providers caring for substance-affected infants and families, offering CEU and MOC credits to support ongoing professional growth and competency development.
• NASCEND PocketCards Durable vinyl pocket reference cards that distill key takeaways from NASCEND training sessions, providing concise, standardized bedside guidance on topics including bonding and attachment, empowering parents, SUD and stigma, trauma-informed care, neonatal opioid withdrawal, comfort care, and infant feeding. Sold at $29.99 per set to healthcare providers.
• Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program A competency-based, stackable training and certification program for nurses, providers, and healthcare systems delivering consistent, trauma-informed, family-centered care for opioid-exposed infants and families. Includes expert-led training with CE/CME and MOC credit, individual and hospital-level certification, and multi-modal learning formats (live, virtual, gamified, asynchronous) backed by third-party credentialing.
• NASCEND Consult Consulting services offered to healthcare facilities and systems for implementing NASCEND solutions, training programs, and quality improvement initiatives related to opioid-exposed infant and substance-affected pregnancy care.
• NASCEND Live Live training events and certification program delivery for healthcare teams caring for substance-affected infants and families, providing direct instruction and competency-based learning experiences as part of the Forbes OEI Continuum Certification Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% reduction in NICU length of stay (45 to 12 days) for infants requiring medication treatment
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hospitals and Healthcare Systems (Research Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025NASCEND collaborates with hospitals, universities, and research teams to advance evidence-based care for substance-affected pregnancies and opioid-exposed newborns. A research study was conducted with Christine Cooper, MSN, NNP-BC and Christina Waldon, BSN as co-authors, demonstrating AssessPro outcomes in a real-world clinical setting with 222 opioid-exposed newborns at 36 weeks gestation.
• Canopy (Kentucky non-profit)minorOthersCanopy is a Kentucky-based non-profit supporting for-profit businesses to identify, measure, and grow their social and environmental impact through education, certification, and advocacy. NASCEND is among the first companies to be Canopy Certified in Kentucky, with a shared vision to make Kentucky First in Good Business.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HealthStream: HealthStream is a leading provider of workforce development, training, and compliance solutions for healthcare organizations. NASCEND Learn competes in the same healthcare-provider e-learning and certification category, particularly for clinical content delivered to nurses and physicians.
• Relias: Relias provides online training, compliance, and workforce enablement solutions purpose-built for healthcare and human services. NASCEND Learn overlaps directly in the continuing-education and competency-based certification category for clinical staff.
• MedBridge: MedBridge delivers online education, patient engagement, and clinical training for healthcare professionals. It is comparable to NASCEND in providing CEU-bearing, evidence-based clinical training for nurses and allied providers.

Broad incumbents

• Wolters Kluwer (UpToDate / Lippincott): Wolters Kluwer is a global provider of clinical decision support, point-of-care references (UpToDate), and medical education content. As a broad incumbent, it could embed similar neonatal/NAS guidance into existing hospital subscriptions, posing competitive pressure on AssessPro.
• Pediatrix Medical Group: Pediatrix is one of the largest physician-led neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine practice groups in the U.S. It is comparable to NASCEND as a major participant in neonatal care delivery and could potentially partner or compete in setting NAS standards.
• Elsevier Clinical Solutions (ClinicalPath): Elsevier's ClinicalPath provides evidence-based clinical decision support and care pathways across multiple specialties. As a broad incumbent in clinical pathways, it could embed neonatal opioid-withdrawal protocols that compete with AssessPro at hospital systems.

Emerging players

• AngelEye Health: AngelEye Health provides technology for NICU and pediatric units, including family engagement and clinical workflow tools. It overlaps with NASCEND's continuum-of-care vision for engaging families during neonatal hospitalization and follow-up.
• Eleanor Health: Eleanor Health is an outpatient substance use disorder provider with integrated mental health and primary care. It is comparable to NASCEND's addressable patient population of pregnant women with SUD and the family-focused intervention approach.
• Pelago (formerly Quit Genius): Pelago provides digital substance use management and therapy programs for employers and health plans. It is comparable to NASCEND in addressing the substance use disorder care pathway, though Pelago focuses on adult populations while NASCEND targets the neonatal downstream.
• Click Therapeutics: Click Therapeutics develops prescription digital therapeutics across multiple indications. It is comparable to NASCEND as another digital-therapeutics company pursuing condition-specific software-based interventions, though focused on different therapeutic areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NASCEND
• Facebookfacebook.com/NASCEND4NAS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NASCEND