Autism venture fund invests in SD-based Cortica

• 1 in 36 kids in the U.S. had autism in 2020, up from the prior rate of 1 in 44 in 2018, according to the CDC. But treatments lag greatly.

Driving the news: Cortica, a San Diego-based autism care provider, is one company into which AIF has poured some of its capital.

By the numbers: AIF has already deployed about 60% of its capital into a dozen companies.

• Cortica, founded in 2017, has blossomed into 1,800 employees in 23 care centers across the country, as of October when it announced raising $40 million from CVS Health Ventures and other firms.