London-based AI powered therapy service HelloSelf raises £5.5 million

The pandemic hasn’t been easy. And if your mental health hasn’t taken a hit in one way or another, I’ve got news for you; you’re kidding yourself.

To this end, London-based braintech startup HelloSelf has raised £5.5 million in a Series-A funding round powered by OMERS Ventures. The raise is expected to further propel the brands B2B component, HelloSelf@Work.

As part of the deal, OMERS Ventures managing partner Harry Briggs will join the board.

After JustGiving was acquired by Blackbaud, former COO Charlie Wells kicked off HelloSelf in 2018. The service functions as an online therapy and psychological coach that combines app-based reminders and encouragement with AI-enhanced video counseling sessions.

In the UK alone, HelloSelf’s numbers have spiked over the course of the pandemic, and during the second lockdown, the company saw 15x more usage when compared to the year before.

And with lockdown after lockdown, and stringent seemingly never ending social distancing measures in place, digital access to therapy has, arguably, kept quite a few of us alive. Or at least from thinking about … it.

The firm currently counts over 150 clinical psychologists, engineers and developers, and provides coaching and treatment to over 1,500 members. HelloSelf then uses, presumably the AI component, to analyse data, outcomes and feedback and further tailors itself to optimise the end users treatment.

"The premise here is that by learning from every case, both therapy and therapists can get better and better. There’s always been learning from best practice in psychological treatments - but somewhat slow and linear. Tech helps that become digital and exponential," comments OMERS Ventures Harry Biggs.

With around 15 million people in the UK experiencing some type of mental health issue every year, the Centre for Mental Health is currently estimating that this number will almost double due to the effects of the pandemic. Needless to say, HelloSelf couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

“Our mission has always been to help more people say Hello to their best Self more often. Never has this been more important. Raising this additional growth capital enables us to help even more people and to deliver them more hopeful futures,” comments Charlie Wells, founder of HelloSelf.