Holly Health has raised £1.4m for its digital health coach app and has partnered with charity Age UK to promote healthy ageing.
London-based Holly Health is a behavioural change app that helps with issues such as stress, wellbeing, sleep and weight management. The application uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a tailored service.
Its latest funding includes a £540,000 award from UK Research and Innovation as part of the public body’s Healthy Ageing Challenge.
Holly Health will join forces with Age UK Lewisham and Southwark (AUKLS) by using its technology to improve the physical and mental health of 6,000 adults aged 50 to 70 in an 18-month project.
If the project is deemed a success it will be further rolled out to Age UK locations across the country and be picked up by more healthcare providers.
Ross Diamond, CEO, AUKLS, said: “Age UK Lewisham and Southwark exists to improve the lives of older people, working towards a future in which all people are valued, safe, and empowered to make choices about their lives.”
The app is the brainchild of former Deliveroo, Facebook, Microsoft and Aldi Operations lead Grace Gimson and Dr Claire Wu, a neuroscientist and software engineer.
The company was founded in 2020, with its international launch to consumers coming in the summer of 2021. It aims to support five million people in maintaining health habits by 2025.
“We know our digital health coach helps people make lasting changes to their health and wellbeing, but this project will give us the insights to develop a version of the app that best meets the needs of older adults,” said Grace Gimson, CEO and co-founder, Holly Health.
The funding came from investors Kima Ventures, the founder of Crista Galli Ventures Dr Fiona Pathiraja, Paul Forster, Ed Cooke and Silicon Valley-based Very Serious Ventures.
It will allow Holly Health to support its current rollout of the app through UK primary care practices and to modify the app for healthy ageing support.
Earlier this week “operating system for care providers” Birdie raised £24.5m in its Series B.