Jake Collective Makes Major Impact Investment in Ampa’s Revolutionary Neuromodulation Platform

Funding commitment will help expand the reach of neurotech company’s affordable, portable and potentially lifesaving technology

NEW YORK, NY, May 26, 2026 - Jake Collective LLC, an investment fund dedicated to advancing the wellbeing of neurodivergent young people, is pleased to announce a substantial investment in Ampa, a Palo Alto-based neurotechnology company that has pioneered game-changing technology in the field of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). FDA-cleared and clinically-proven for treatment-resistant depression, the Ampa One system has the potential to exponentially expand the reach of TMS therapy to providers and patients worldwide. 

"Ampa has developed innovative therapeutic tools that can provide critical relief to millions of people navigating significant mental health challenges," says Melissa Floren Filippone, Jake Collective CEO. "We are excited to be furthering Ampa's transformative work with our first impact investment."

Since its approval by the FDA in 2008, TMS has emerged as one of the most promising therapies to treat severe depression over the past four decades, especially in cases where pharmaceutical interventions have proven ineffective.

Major barriers, however, have prevented TMS from reaching anywhere near its therapeutic potential. Typical equipment is prohibitively cumbersome, weighing as much as 340 pounds, and topping out as high as six feet. Because of its outsized footprint, it cannot be transported to remote regional hospitals and clinics for periodic use, nor to the residences of patients who have become homebound by their mental illness, or by physical disability. Training to administer traditional TMS therapy can take as long as 12 weeks. Equipment costs, meanwhile, can well exceed $250,000 for providers.

Ampa’s groundbreaking TMS technology has removed all of those barriers. The company’s Ampa One system weighs less than 40 pounds. It is small enough to fit into a rollaway suitcase, and light enough to load into a compact SUV. It’s more than capable of making house calls and training takes only a few hours. For providers, Ampa One requires no upfront costs. Instead, providers pay a $3,000 monthly subscription.

"The Ampa One device is, by far, the simplest way for clinics to add TMS to their offerings," says Ampa co-founder and CEO Don Vaughn, who holds a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. "It can be used anywhere, by practically any licensed professional, at a fraction of the typical cost. Demand has doubled every quarter, and this most recent funding from Jake Collective will help us meet this accelerating demand."

Prevailing TMS therapy is tremendously time-consuming for patients and providers. Full treatment necessitates 36 daily treatments, spread over six to eight weeks. Jake Collective’s Ampa investment will not only widen the reach of the company’s existing technology, but accelerate development of Ampa’s One Day TMS program. Building upon peer-reviewed research by Ampa co-founder Dr. Jonathan Downar, the project promises to condense the course of TMS treatment from over a month into a single day.

According to the National Institutes of Health, over half of neurodivergent Americans suffer from depression, which constitutes one of the major co-morbidities of autism and ADHD. For young people living with neurodivergence, impaired social communication can be a major contributing factor to depression. In a research study conducted by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, autistic children ages four to 10 who underwent repeated TMS treatment experienced significant improvement in social communication, suggesting future potential benefits for a neurodivergent population in which deep isolation and depression can be so closely intertwined.*

“When evaluating investment opportunities, we look for solid financials, innovative technology and airtight battleplans for future growth,” says Floren Filippone. “But we’re also looking just as closely at the ability to deliver effective near-term interventions to benefit the neurodivergent young people we serve, as well as a longer-term capacity to further improve their wellbeing. We set rigorous criteria for innovation, execution and maximum potential impact. Ampa easily met them all.” 

About Jake Collective Jake Collective is a nonprofit foundation and impact investment engine dedicated to improving the lives of neurodivergent young people. By building a flywheel of scaled data, capital, clinical care, and human understanding, the organization works to transform how neurodivergence is seen and supported. Jake Collective is privately funded and is not soliciting or accepting donations at this time. For more information visit jakecollective.org.

*Efficacy and Mechanism of rTMS in Children With ASD: an Open-label Clinical Trial(Ⅱ), Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Competed January 20, 2023.