Dear VC,

When was the last time you checked your heart health? Have you heard about a kid in your friends and family group struggling with mental health issues?

Yeah, this edition is all about health, heart health, and young adults' mental well-being. If you're into AI paired with HealthTech, MedTech, or Impact investing, you’ll want to tune in.

Today’s stories: Mental Health Buddy for Young Adults w/ LeanOnMe, Non-invasive Heart Screening w/ Cardisio

Marko here, let’s go!

1. LeanOnMe

#B2B2C, #MedTech, #HealthTech, #MentalHealth

Did you know that 1 in 7 young adults suffer from mental health issues, according to the WHO?

Many young adults struggle quietly, missing out on the best years of their lives due to solvable problems. Instead of enjoying their youth, they often face challenges alone, scared of being stigmatized.

LeanOnMe is taking action to address the rising mental health issues among Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) aged 16-25. Issues like stress and depression but also loneliness and financial problems, coupled with limited access to affordable and timely mental health support.

Why Are They Interesting?

LeanOnMe targets the B2B2C market by offering services to corporates. Imagine a large company already offering wellness and fitness packages to its employees and you’ll get the picture.

Emma's company, for example, offers LeanOnMe’s chatbot Leany as a wellness benefit. She can give it to her 17-year-old son, Alex, who struggles with bullying and school anxiety.

Now, he can use Leany on WhatsApp for free and get personalized support and connect with mentors, helping him manage his mental health privately.

Imagine Alex starting his first job. His company provides Leany, an AI-bot, to help him improve his self-esteem, confidence, public speaking, and more. With this support, Alex has the tools he needs to thrive in his new role.

Wow, this Alex really needs help!

LeanOnMe doesn’t just support and treat existing symptoms; it proactively identifies early signs of mental health issues, ensuring comprehensive and preventative care. Besides anxiety and depression, parents could spot early signs of issues in their children, such as eating disorders, drug abuse, and excessive drinking.

Market Size

• Global mental health care market valued at $435 billion.

• Adolescents and Young Adults segment estimated at ~$100 billion.

• Mental health technology market is projected to grow from $6.8 billion in 2022 to $7.84 billion by 2028.

Meet The Team

Dr. Jana Reuther, CEO and founder of LeanOnMe, champions AI-driven mental health support for young adults. With a Ph.D. in Venturing from Universität St.Gallen, she has experience as a strategy consultant at Strategy& PwC, and as a hypnotherapist and CBT therapist.

Tamryn Batcheller-Adams, CMHO (The Chief Mental Health Officer) of LeanOnMe, is a child psychologist and leadership coach with her practice in Cape Town. Tamryn also serves as a leadership coach at Tomorrow Today Global and is an author.

Keno Hanken, LeanOnMe's tech lead, has a BS in Data Science and serves as an IT administrator for the German government. With a focus on data science, digital networking, and IT consulting, he is passionate about leveraging AI and ML to shape the future of society and entrepreneurship.

Traction And The Ask

So far they have:

• Developed a bot to tackle academic stress, currently in testing and set for launch in July.

• Completed in-depth market research in Germany and South Africa to understand user needs and ensure PMF.

• Initiated discussions with companies and universities for potential partnerships and deployment opportunities.

• Assembled a team of seasoned professionals and advisors to drive the project forward.

LeanOnMe is currently in the pre-seed stage and raising $275,000 for their Proof of Concept, with several business angels already committed to supporting the startup.

Contact

• Reach out to Dr. Jana Reuther via email: [email protected]

• Or book a call with her on this link.

• They are based both in Germany and South Africa.

LeanOnMe is expanding its team

1. Head of Product

2. Founder's Associate

3. Senior Sales Rep

If you know someone who might fit these roles let them know and share this link!

2. Cardisio

#Hardware #B2B, #MedTech, #HealthTech, #Cardiology

A heart-stopping stat from the CDC: Every 33 seconds, someone in the US dies from heart disease. This rate could be significantly reduced with regular checks and early detection.

Here’s the problem: Sometimes the heart has issues without showing symptoms.

Cardisio plans to change that with their AI-driven, non-invasive 4-minute screening.

Why Are They Interesting?

Meet John, an investor in a VC fund. He appears to be a healthy man in his 40s, ticking all the right health boxes. However, a hidden heart issue went undetected by traditional screening methods.

Cardisio’s Cardisiography (CSG) steps in here. Their heart screening method detects heart diseases with over 90% sensitivity, much higher and more reliable than traditional stress ECGs.

It involves a quick four-minute recording with five electrodes, and the data is instantly analyzed by AI to provide a comprehensive report.

This advanced screening could have spotted John's problems before they became critical, offering a proactive solution to heart health management.

Cardisio's ideal users include cardiologists, general practitioners, and clinics aiming to improve early detection and prevention of heart diseases.

Cardisiography is supported by extensive research and is accepted by many health insurers in Germany.

Meet The Team

Meik Baumeister is the co-founder and CEO of Cardisio. With over 20 years of experience, he has led complex IT projects and IT companies. He brings significant expertise in e-health, cardiology, and artificial intelligence to the company.

Klaus Tenderich is the co-founder of Cardisio and the EMEA Sales Director. He holds an MBA and brings extensive experience in sales and business development within the healthcare sector.

Market Size

• The addressable market is approximately EUR 13.6 billion.

Traction And The Ask

Cardisio is currently at €2.3 million in ARR but has ambitious growth plans.

They’ve successfully raised €10 million and are now seeking an additional €5 million through a CLA to achieve breakeven in their established markets and start preparing for the US market.

Contact

• Adina Krausz

• Official email: [email protected]

• Or book a meeting with her team.

• Cardisio is based in Germany.

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