Berlin-based HealthTech startup clare&me Secures €3.7M to Revolutionize Mental Health with AI-Powered Therapy.
The round was led by Munich-based healthtech investor YZR, which also includes participation from Antler and current angel investors Kodori Ventures and Material Ventures.
Additionally, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Development Bank of Berlin (IBB), and European funds have granted grants to clare&me to carry out technical research and create the first CLLM (Clinical Large Language Model) in history, which will be taught by psychotherapists.
clare&me will use the funds to expand a second product that automates clinical anamnesis interviews, working with more clinics to build trust with end users. The team will advance the technology by training an empathic Clinical LLM (CLLM).
clare&me set out to use technology and conversational engagement to establish a low-barrier-to-entry therapeutic self-help offering. The creators of ChatGPT began considering conversational AI and user-AI relationships approximately 1.5 years before the platform became popular. They explored how users might discuss mental health with an AI, determining the necessary level of humanity for such a bot. Additionally, they focused on developing AI for therapy while strictly following technological best practices.
Related Content: Mental Health services platform Spectrum.Life receives €5M
Clare, the Mental Health AI, is the end product. Through voice-based chats on cellphones featuring therapeutic content on subjects like anxiety, tension, and panic, Clare offers digital psychotherapy support. As a thought leader, Claire&me seeks to address the issues of high entry hurdles, lengthy wait times, and stigma by drawing boundaries between human and AI discourse in a thoughtful, moral, and well-reasoned manner.
Founders Thoughts:
Emilia Theye, CEO and co-founder of clare&me, said:
“Over three years ago we had a vision that was critically questioned for a long time – it’s hard to believe that the same vision is now a no-brainer for so many and that we have received so much great support along the way. With this financing, we will continue developing clinical AI that creates lasting psychological effects, grounded in the latest research and ethical principles.”
CEO and co-founder of clare&me Celina Messner continued:
“I am proud of what we have accomplished with our team. It’s exciting and challenging to reimagine technology in the realm of mental health. The research funding demonstrates the excellence of our groundbreaking work in the field and serves as a seal of our technological quality.”
Investors Statements:
YZR Capital’s Founding Partner Markus Feuerecker stated:
“Emilia and Celina’s concept and what they have accomplished in such a short time have impressed us since day one. Even if there were still a lot of people who disagreed, we all agreed that it could be done. Seeing the team turn their ideas into powerful lessons, tackle the subject with a medical perspective, and serve as role models for many is a lot of pleasure. After our original investment in 2021, we are happy to lead this round and assist the team because we firmly believe in clare&me’s goal.”
Christoph Klink, a partner at Antler, said:
“Emilia and Celina excited us as a founding team when we first invested and still do today. Further, they are developing cutting-edge AI technology to tackle a significant social and health issue that they are passionate about. We’re excited to have supported them from the start as they create a product that’s already making a positive impact across Europe.”
