Mental health platform Headlight launches with $18M and more digital health funding

Tech-enabled mental health platform Headlight announced its launch alongside $18 million in funding led by Matrix and EPIC Ventures.  

Headlight’s CEO is Geoff Swindle, the former chief business officer of PillPack and Amazon Pharmacy. 

The California-based mental health company offers in-network access to patients for the treatment of ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, acute stress disorder, depression, panic disorder, gender-identity-related distress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, trauma, phobias, postpartum depression, relationship concerns, insomnia and seasonal affective disorder. 

The company says its organizational structure aims to improve clinician and patient experience. All clinicians are W-2 employees, have a say in key company decisions and collaboration is encouraged among the clinical staff.  

Headlight will use the funds to expand its reach nationally and add new licensed therapists to its team. 

“Despite a proliferation of virtual services, 60% of adults in the U.S. who have sought mental health services still struggle to meet the most basic need: a qualified clinician who accepts their insurance and understands their unique situation,” Swindle said in a statement. “Headlight focuses on helping patients get from initial interest in counseling to a well-aligned therapist and prescriber match faster and with less friction than existing options.” 

UK-based SaaS lifestyle monitoring technology company Lilli scored £8.2 million ($10.3 million) in a Series A financing round led by West Hill Capital.

Lilli utilizes AI and machine learning technology to find user patterns and trends to give healthcare providers insight into one’s well-being and home life. 

The company will use the funds to support its growth in the public and private health sectors in the UK and internationally and explore how it can further build out its AI. The investment will also support the launch of a friend and family version of its app. 

“West Hill is delighted to have led the second consecutive oversubscribed funding round for Lilli since 2021, which shows continued and growing interest in the company in today’s market. The business is on an exciting growth trajectory and winning numerous contracts in quick succession,” Mark Hickson, managing partner at West Hill, said in a statement.  

“Lilli’s data-driven digital healthcare platform has the potential to revolutionize the way in which social care is delivered, utilizing innovative technology to provide substantial productivity gains and cost savings for local authorities and healthcare providers.”

Essence, a femtech company focusing on women in the workforce, announced it secured $600,000 in an angel round. 

Davidovs VC, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, Growing Well Partners, and angel investors Elena Zhigalina, Ksenia Kapoor, Eugenia Dunaeva, Elena Enache, Jana Gashkova, and Konstantin Siniushin participated in the round. 

The Essence App is an AI-powered offering focused on helping female employees optimize their fitness routines, diets and schedules according to each phase of the hormonal cycle.

The company will use the funds to improve its app, research the link between the menstrual cycle and productivity, and attract new customers. 

“Femtech is a highly undervalued and impact-oriented market and half of the world’s population are potential users,” Elina Vale, cofounder and CEO of The Essence App, said in a statement. 

“Menstrual health is a missing puzzle piece in improving women’s well-being. Cycle-related symptoms are still a real struggle for hundreds of millions. The Essence App offers a valuable digital tool for companies, helping businesses adjust their work environments and provide tailored support to those who need it.”