Cooler Heads, a pioneering medical device company, has closed an oversubscribed $11M Series A funding round to expand the manufacturing and rollout of Amma™, the only FDA-cleared Portable Scalp Cooling System. The Amma™ system helps chemotherapy patients keep their hair and preserve their privacy, eliminating the disfiguring hair loss that has long been an accepted side effect of chemotherapy.
“Hair loss is so emotionally devastating that 8% of patients eligible for chemotherapy refuse treatment.” said Kate Dilligan, breast cancer survivor, Founder, and CEO of Cooler Heads. “Amma™ is a user-friendly platform that helps infusion centers seamlessly add scalp cooling to their workflows. The American Medical Association’s decision to elevate scalp cooling reimbursement codes to Category I starting in January 2026 creates powerful momentum for us, reinforcing scalp cooling as an emerging standard of care.”
By cooling the scalp before, during, and after chemotherapy, Amma™ reduces blood flow to hair follicles, shielding them from chemotherapy drugs and therefore preventing hair loss. Amma™ offers a continuous cooling system that eliminates the need for dry ice or frequent cap changes, making it a more accessible alternative to traditional methods.
The Series A financing was led by Mutual Capital Partners, a Cleveland healthtech-focused venture capital fund, and contained participation from SHD Partners, Crescent Ridge VC, Cal Innovation Fund, NuFund, Robin Hood Ventures, Golden Seeds, HIP VC, and an unnamed strategic investor. Funds will be used to increase manufacturing capacity, expand the commercial team, and to develop the next generation of the product.
Investors see Amma™ as a game-changer in cancer care, with the potential to improve the quality of life for thousands of patients. “Our investment in Cooler Heads reflects our confidence in the ability of this leadership team to make scalp cooling available wherever patients are getting chemotherapy. Cooler Heads is not only improving care for patients, but for the first time making this therapy low friction for infusion centers,” said Liz Todia Zambory who led the Mutual Capital Partners team’s investment. In addition to Liz Todia Zambory, Mike Schotzinger of SHD Partners joined the company’s Board of Directors and Jason Pesterfield, the CEO of Elucent Medical, joined as an independent director.
For patients, Amma™ is more than just a device, it’s a source of hope and empowerment during treatment. “In a process where so much is stripped away, scalp cooling helped me keep a part of myself intact, and that gave me strength,” said Jennifer George, who used Amma during 16 cycles of chemotherapy while being treated for early stage breast cancer in 2024.
