Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It created a new model for funding startups. Twice a year, the company invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups. The startup accelerator works intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

Y Combinator

Koa Labs is a fund for founders looking to start independent companies. Koa Labs was founded by Andy Palmer and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Koa Labs

Goodwater empowers exceptional entrepreneurs everywhere to change the world for the better. They believe consumer technology is a force on earth, shaping culture and transforming the global economy at unprecedented speed and scale. They invest in promising entrepreneurs to solve pressing problems. As a combined force, Goodwater companies are a global force for change, poised to measurably improve billions of lives.

Goodwater Capital

Pillar VC partners with unstoppable founders from the moment of inception, providing the first capital. The firm is committed to helping founders grow with their companies, investing in their personal and professional development with connections, coaching, and community. From university spinouts led by first-time founders to serial entrepreneurs, backing the next generation of big, meaningful companies in Boston. Pillar VC is open to high-potential ventures of any type, with the bulk of our portfolio related to machine intelligence, AI, hardware, enterprise software, blockchain, quantum, digital health, and synthetic biology.

Pillar VC

Unpopular Ventures invests early in tech startups before they gain popularity. They focus on unconventional opportunities, believing that innovation often arises outside the mainstream. They support teams exploring new markets, unique ideas, and challenging endeavors. Despite their unconventional approach, their early-stage startups have attracted follow-on funding from top investors. Established in 2019, they now invest from both a syndicate and a rolling fund, with $151 million in assets under management (AUM).

Unpopular Ventures

Honeystone ventures is an early-stage software fund that focuses on pre-seed and seed funds. The company is based in Palo Alto, California.

Honeystone Ventures

Gaingels is a venture investment syndicate in service of the LGBT+ community and its allies, investing in companies with LGBT+ founders and C-suite leaders at all stages of growth, as well as in more established companies resolved on building more inclusive teams, with a global portfolio of 130+ companies and $70M in deployed investment capital to date.  The Gaingels network also actively supports its portfolio in identifying and recruiting diverse talent to their C-suite and board leadership teams and fosters a vibrant global community of industry leaders, investors, operators, and entrepreneurs who share a common goal for positive social change through business and successful investments.

Gaingels

Worklife Ventures is the first venture capital firm designed for the new era of builders, creators, and individual contributors.  At the forefront of Worklife’s narrative is the idea that the future of work will be the end of traditional jobs and anyone can start their own business or creative empire from anywhere.

Worklife

SeedToB Capital primarily focuses on artificial intelligence initiatives within healthcare. Most applications of AI in healthcare have results in pilot and early adaptor settings but don’t maximize their full potential of value despite huge investments. seedToB’s unique approach is to help entrepreneurs navigate this complex space towards most efficient path to Series B. It is led by serial entrepreneurs who in their last startup founded Jvion and grew it to be the Nation’s largest clinical AI company which was sold at nine figure valuation in a all cash transaction.

SeedToB Capital

Aglaé Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Paris, New York and San Francisco backed by Groupe Arnault, the controlling shareholder of LVMH, global leader in luxury goods. Aglaé invests from € 100k up to € 100m in asset light tech businesses at all stages.  Groupe Arnault-backed companies include Netflix, Spotify, Backmarket, Betfair, Airbnb, Slack, Algolia, Lyft and others.

Aglaé Ventures

Shimmer

Shimmer provides a platform for 1:1 remote ADHD coaching. Our platform matches users to an ADHD coach who helps guide them towards identifying and meeting goals, maintaining a positive approach to change, and improving productivity while providing a source of accountability.

<div>California-based Shimmer has developed an evidence-based ADHD solution where it provides users with 15-minute coaching sessions, via a mobile app, that are paired with systems to ensure accountability. The platform also gives users &lsquo;take-home tasks&rsquo; to further treatment beyond coaching sessions, and has chat availability with coaches for communicating outside of sessions. The platform also provides educational content and in-platform rewards for treatment adherence. Shimmer&rsquo;s platform employs &ldquo;Acceptance and Commitment Coaching&rdquo; methods.&nbsp;</div>

New technologies are opening up mental health services to previously overbooked and underserved populations.

Mental Health Tech

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 California-based Shimmer has developed an evidence-based ADHD solution where it provides users with 15-minute coaching sessions, via a mobile app, that are paired with systems to ensure accountability. The platform also gives users &lsquo;take-home tasks&rsquo; to further treatment beyond coaching sessions, and has chat availability with coaches for communicating outside of sessions. The platform also provides educational content and in-platform rewards for treatment adherence. Shimmer&rsquo;s platform employs &ldquo;Acceptance and Commitment Coaching&rdquo; methods.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 The company operates via a D2C model where users are charged a monthly subscription of USD 99 or USD 349 depending on the plan selected.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In October 2022, the company launched from stealth after raising USD 1.3 million in a seed funding round with participation from several venture capital firms and individual investors. The funds raised were set aside by the company to expand its current coaching capacity. Additionally, the funds were earmarked to develop its platform by building out an educational content hub and adding gamified elements and automation.
 
 
 
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 Boulder Care is a telepsychiatry platform that connects patients who are opioid-addicted users to addiction specialists, care coordinators, and peer coaches. Patients can get personalized plans via video and text messaging and the app is intended to be used in conjunction with prescription medicines and lab tests.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In June 2022, the company raised USD 36 million in a Series B funding round. The funds were earmarked to triple the size of the company’s medical care team, expand its geographical footprint, and increase its value-based care treatment options through partnerships with health plans.
 
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Boulder Care

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 7 Cups provides an emotional-support platform with a network of volunteer listeners. Users can anonymously access either one-on-one chats or group chats 24/7, free of charge for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationships and those related to the LGBTQ+ community. It also teaches users skills such as meditation to improve their lives. If users want additional support, the company also provides access to an online therapy platform with a network of 180 licensed therapists for a subscription plan of USD 150 per month. 7 Cups is available for users above 13 years of age (users between 13 and 17 years old engage with listeners who are specifically trained in teenage interactions).
 
 
 Volunteer peer listeners get free training and support as well as flexible scheduling. Once a user requests a chat, it will be directed to available listeners and if the user requests a specific listener, he will be connected as soon as the listener accepts the demand. The service is anonymous and the listener has no access to the details of the user unless the information is disclosed to the listener by the user in their conversations. As of January 2022, 7 Cups has facilitated more than 51 million conversations, served 25 million individuals, and had 300,000 trained listeners. The listeners serve in 180 countries in 140 languages.
 
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7 Cups

wayForward provides technology-supported behavioral health and emotional wellness services for employers planning to make services available to their employees. It uses a screening procedure designed by neuropsychologists to triage and help employee members get clinically relevant mental healthcare. The company provides a self-guided app, text-based coaching, video visits, telepsychiatry, and if required, in-person visits or an on-site counselor. wayForward leverages its evidence-based approach and artificial intelligence in delivering its services and claims that it has been able to reduce anxiety symptoms by 48% and depression symptoms by 59%.The company raised USD 2 million in a seed round in June 2020, which brought total funding to USD 4.5 million. DarioHealth, a chronic disease management platform based in Israel, signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of wayForward in May 2021 for a total consideration of USD 30 million. As of May 2021, the wayForward had approximately 20,000 members and was available in North America, Australia, and Europe.

wayForward

Coa is a mental health company that conducts online classes led by licensed therapists for mental health users. The classes focus on conditions such as stress, anxiety, confidence and relationships. The company raised USD 3 million in a seed round in October 2020 from investors led by Crosslink Capital.

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 Meru Health is an online platform that connects patients experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and other mental health issues to licensed therapists. The company was founded by Kristian Ranta in 2016 after his older brother died from suicide after battling depression. The platform offers a 12-week program and personalized text-based coaching services and virtual workshops. Meru also provides access to progress reports and anonymous peer support groups as well as sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness advice on top of vital tracking information—such as heart rate data.
 
 
 The company reported a 10x YoY growth in its customer base in 2020 and plans to serve 10 million users by 2027. The company also achieved 8x YoY growth in revenue in 2020 amid an increase in demand in mental health services brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In September 2022, Meru Health and clinical trial platform Curebase 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13230">
 announced a partnership
 </a>
 to carry out a three-year clinical trial to measure the effectiveness of Meru Health’s 12-week digital depression treatment targeting primary care patients. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Small Business Innovation Research program. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fundings and financials
 
 
 In May 2022, the company secured a USD 2 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to measure the effectiveness of its 12-week program for treating primary care patients. The study will follow 300 patients across the US with symptoms of major depression for a period of three years.
 
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Meru Health

Online peer-to-peer platform and support system that connects mental health communities.

Mobile-based apps and FDA-approved software that incorporate evidenced-based cognitive behavioral therapy to prevent, treat, or manage mental and behavioral conditions in conjunction with or as a replacement for traditional medication.

Products for behavioral health and mental health tracking, measurement-based care, and real-time remote monitoring of patients.

Subscription or membership-based platforms and apps to connect therapists, psychiatrists or behavioral health coaches with patients.

Offers virtual offerings for mental health consultations

Mental healthcare services offer personalized care tailored to a user's needs and treatment progression

There are mental health providers offering services specifically to help LGBTQ+ or BIPOC individuals

Several mental health technology providers offer therapy services rendered by AI/ML technology

Shimmer

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