Mental Healthcare 3.0 | Union Square Ventures

While 2.0 companies such as Calm and Talkspace enabled human care to be delivered digitally, and enabled more access through on demand care, 3.0 companies will offer fully-digital or hybrid human-digital care and enable more people to get access to affordable mental healthcare at anytime.

As we slowly emerge, we hope to witness a transition from a diagnostic to a preventative care mental health approach, driving increased adoption of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and alternative forms of coaching. Should such care become mainstream, how will we be able to expand access and solve the supply constraints of licensed therapists tod... See more

In the U.S. alone, 46% of people will experience some form of mental illness over the course of their lifetime. This is driving our nation to spend $238 billion annually on mental health treatment and services, up more than 100% from 2005 levels. Democratized by providers like Modern Health (employee wellbeing platform), Real (digital therapy membe... See more

Talented individuals and startups have recognized the gaps in mental healthcare industry, but I worry that they’re trying to solve this disjointed industry with more disjointed offerings. There are over 170 mindfulness and meditation apps out there, 140+ tele-therapy platforms (Talkspace, BetterHelp), digital cognitive behavioural therapy apps (Unm... See more

We’re also seeing a mental health renaissance in reaction to the Millennial and Gen Z mental health crisis. Companies like Headway, Real, and Pace are building better ways to access therapy and to find community.

These technological advances come at a time when the need for mental health care is particularly acute: According to a report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults in the United States experienced mental illness in 2020. And the numbers continue to climb.