Oliva, a healthtech platform based out of London offering specialist, on-demand mental health and wellbeing support to employees, has bagged €5 million funding. The investment round was led by Molten Ventures, a London investment group, which has previously backed Satellite Vu, Zaptic and Riverlane. The round saw participation from existing investors Stride VC and new backers Alumni Ventures, and angels, including Kieran Flanagan, CMO at Zapier.
AI-based Oliva Care Model
This raise brings Oliva’s total funding to €13 million to date. The funding will enable Oliva to expand its network of skilled therapists, launch in new markets and languages, develop its pioneering ‘Oliva Care Model’, and leverage AI to enhance its human-to-human online care journeys. These advancements will enable more staff around the world to access bespoke, human-led mental health expertise.
Oliva is already used in over 27 countries worldwide and is currently available in 14 languages, with existing customers, including Marshmallow, Maze and Leapsome. This funding will enable expansion into new markets, including more US states, and the introduction of new languages including Croatian, Serbian and Dutch. Also, the latest investment will also enable Oliva to further expand its network of 250 specialist therapists.
Oliva app launch on cards
In addition, the funds will also be used to launch an Oliva app, enabling users to access support wherever they are and build out additional product features to improve the user experience for staff, HR teams, and practitioners alike. This will include incorporating AI functionality to enhance their human-led service, such as automating note-taking so therapists can focus on care.
Javier Suarez, co-founder and CEO of Oliva, commented: “From the very beginning, our vision for Oliva has been clear: to be Europe’s most comprehensive and clinically validated workplace mental health platform. Companies working with Oliva get more than a platform – they get a full-scale partnership for their employee mental health strategy. And for employees – they don’t get short-changed by a system powered by bots. We offer evidence-led, human-centric support strategies that are tailored to their individual needs.”
Dr Inga Deakin, Principal at Molten Ventures, added: “Poor mental health has a massive impact on employers and wider society. We have an opportunity to expand access to mental health support and early intervention beyond the usual structures of healthcare systems. Molten are proud to back the team at Oliva. They are world-class repeat entrepreneurs, and they have the experience and capabilities to tackle challenges around mental health and provide a method to help many people around the world.”
Idea behind Oliva
Oliva was founded by Javier Suarez (co-founder of TravelPerk) and Sançar Sahin (former VP Marketing at Typeform) after they both experienced burnout. While they had both been leading at high-profile tech startups, their mental health was suffering. However, they struggled to find the right support and wanted to build a solution.
Apparently, they came together in 2020 to launch Oliva, an all-in-one platform and partner for employee wellbeing. By combining 1-to-1 therapy & coaching, classes, and self-guided content for employees with tailored insights, strategies, and support for organisations, Oliva helps both businesses and the people behind them thrive.
Led by the platform’s Chief Clinical Officer and leading cognitive behavioural therapist, Dr. Sarah Bateup, the company’s approach enables users to be guided towards a bespoke package of human-led intervention or support for their individual needs, with that route able to dynamically adapt based on outcomes.
Oliva works closely with employers to create and launch successful strategies to improve workplace wellbeing, they are able to improve staff happiness and retention, as well as increase productivity.
For individual team members, the platform unlocks a wide-array of evidence-based psychological interventions; from on-demand therapy and coaching, to group workshops, personalised self-guided content and exclusive talks. Over 12 types of therapies are available via the platform, designed to provide the proactive and reactive support needed to help people tackle issues such anxiety, burnout or depression.
