In 2025, LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide are facing a wave of legislative setbacks, public hostility, and shrinking access to culturally competent mental health care. Against this backdrop, London-based mental health app Voda has secured £650,000 in new funding to expand its queer-affirming services.
This move comes at a time when over 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in the US alone, Pride events have been banned in parts of Europe, and the UK is witnessing a rise in anti-trans rhetoric and cuts to NHS mental health services. The urgency for accessible, affirming support has never been greater.
Just a while back we also reporerd about how Sunrise Robotics which raised $8.5M to tackle Europe’s factory labour crisis with AI automation. It’s an interesting read too.
What does the startup actually do?
Launched in 2023, Voda is a mental health app designed specifically for LGBTQIA+ individuals. The platform offers guided therapy programmes that help users heal from shame, build self-compassion, and develop resilience in the face of discrimination and adversity. These programmes are co-created with seven LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists and psychologists from diverse backgrounds, ensuring both therapeutic rigor and lived experience inform the content1.
Voda’s approach is rooted in established therapeutic modalities, including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness-based practices
These are translated into bite-sized, self-guided tools accessible through the app, making mental health support more approachable and less stigmatizing for users who may have faced barriers in traditional settings. The app also addresses LGBTQIA+-specific challenges such as coming out, gender dysphoria, hate speech, and societal discrimination, providing practical coping strategies tailored to these experiences.
Since its launch, Voda has reached over 35,000 users globally, with a significant portion based in the UK. The app’s user base reflects a growing demand for digital mental health solutions that are both inclusive and evidence-based1.
How are they unique and who are the competitors?
Voda distinguishes itself in several key ways:
- Queer-Affirming and Trauma-Informed: The app is built by and for LGBTQIA+ people, ensuring cultural competence and trauma-informed care are central to its offerings1.
- Co-Creation with Diverse Experts: The involvement of LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists and psychologists in content creation ensures that the app’s resources are both clinically sound and grounded in lived experience.
- Accessibility: By delivering support through a mobile app, Voda lowers barriers for those who may not have access to affirming in-person care due to geography, cost, or stigma.
- Practical, Bite-Sized Tools: The app translates complex therapeutic modalities into manageable, everyday tools, making it easier for users to integrate mental health practices into their lives.
While several mental health apps exist, few are tailored specifically for LGBTQIA+ users. Competitors include platforms like Pride Counseling (a branch of BetterHelp), which offers online therapy with LGBTQIA+-affirming therapists, and Euphoria.LGBT, which provides gender-affirming resources and community support. However, many mainstream mental health apps have been criticized for lacking cultural competence or failing to address the unique stressors faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Voda’s focus on co-creation, trauma-informed design, and accessibility positions it uniquely within a crowded digital health market. As Chris Sheridan, Lead Therapist at Voda, notes, “Too many LGBTQIA+ people are navigating mental health struggles in silence today, not because they’re unwilling to seek help, but because the system is failing to meet them with understanding even amidst rising hate”.
Valuation and founding team members: Background and experience
Voda’s latest funding round brought in £650,000 from a mix of new and returning investors, including Impact Shakers Ventures, Daring Capital, Social Tides, Lightbulb Trust, ULTRA VC, and Dr. Helmut Schuster1. The company has not disclosed its current valuation.
Founding team
- Jaron Soh (he/him), Co-founder & CEO: Soh leads Voda’s mission to create accessible, affirming mental health resources for LGBTQIA+ people. Under his leadership, the app has grown rapidly, winning the “Rising Star Award” at the 2024 National UK StartUp Awards.
- Therapeutic Team: Voda’s content is co-created with seven LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists and psychologists representing a range of genders, sexualities, and ethnicities. This diversity ensures that the app’s resources are both clinically effective and culturally relevant.
- Chris Sheridan MBACP (they/them), Lead Therapist: Sheridan brings extensive experience in LGBTQIA+ mental health and is a vocal advocate for culturally competent care.
The team’s combination of lived experience and clinical expertise is a core strength, as highlighted by investor Alina Klarner: “Their team brings together lived experience and expertise to build a product that’s deeply needed, especially at a time as LGBTQIA+ communities face growing hostility and shrinking access to care”.
What do we think about the startup in a larger picture?
Voda’s emergence and growth reflect broader trends in digital mental health and the ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide. Research consistently shows that LGBTQIA+ individuals experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers, often due to discrimination, stigma, and lack of affirming care. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent cuts to public health services have only exacerbated these disparities.
Digital mental health platforms have gained traction as a way to bridge gaps in access, particularly for marginalized groups. However, concerns remain about the effectiveness, privacy, and inclusivity of many mainstream apps. Voda’s approach—combining evidence-based therapy with cultural competence and lived experience—addresses some of these shortcomings, but the app’s long-term impact will depend on its ability to maintain clinical rigor, expand its reach, and adapt to evolving community needs.
The current climate of rising anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and rhetoric underscores the importance of accessible, affirming mental health support. As CEO Jaron Soh puts it, “In a time where LGBTQIA+ rights are being rolled back and public services are under pressure, we’ll use this funding to work with leading therapists and psychologists to create resources that would support hundreds of thousands of LGBTQIA+ people with affirming mental health tools”1.
Voda’s £650,000 funding round highlights both the urgent need for and growing interest in queer-affirming mental health solutions. By centering lived experience, therapeutic rigor, and accessibility, the app aims to address longstanding gaps in care for LGBTQIA+ individuals. While the digital mental health landscape is increasingly crowded, Voda’s focus on cultural competence and trauma-informed support sets it apart.
As LGBTQIA+ rights face renewed challenges globally, the demand for inclusive, evidence-based mental health resources is likely to grow. Voda’s trajectory will be shaped by its ability to scale, maintain clinical quality, and respond to the evolving needs of the communities it serves. The startup’s progress will be closely watched by advocates, clinicians, and investors seeking to improve mental health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ people in a changing world.
