London-based mental health startup Spill provides remote mental health support for companies via Slack, a workplace messaging tool. The startup offers all-in-one mental health support that helps employees to speak with qualified therapists over video, phone or message. Now, this company bagged fresh funding as there is an increased demand for its service.
Believes in ‘Prevention is better than cure’
Spill just announced that it bagged £2M seed funding led by Ada Ventures along with partner Francesca Warner, who joins its board, Seedcamp and the government’s Future Fund initiative. The investment will be used to develop proactive tools that will help the company create a more psychologically considerate workplace. Also, the company will switch from treatment to prevention of mental health issues. Notably, this investment comes after the £650k pre-seed funding that Spill raised in 2019 from Passion Capital.
Calvin Benton, Founder at Spill, said: “The events of the past year have made workplace mental health issues front of mind for many, but these are problems which have long needed solving. It’s vital that, in today’s knowledge-driven economy, workers have access to high-quality mental health support that’s barrier-free, stigma-free, and free at the point of use. And that’s exactly what Spill will be able to deliver dramatically more of with the help of this latest funding round, led by Ada Ventures.”
Francesca Warner, Founding Partner at Ada Ventures, said: “We’ve been looking to invest in a company tackling the mental health crisis our society faces for some time. We’ve struggled to find products that are accessible, affordable, effective, and used regularly. Spill’s product is all of these things. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to invest in this exceptional team and look forward to the product being available to millions of people in the years to come.”
Jenny Buch, People Operations Director at Typeform (a Spill client), said: “Spill is helping us build a psychologically safe environment where people can bring their true selves to work. As a company, openly showing that you care about the mental health of your teams is key to reducing the risk of burnout in our ever-busy industry. Spill has been key to bringing this message across at Typeform. What sets Spill apart is that there’s no stigma in using or talking about the service and as such Spill has been a very important asset for the mental health of our teams in 2020 — and beyond.”
Psychological support helps companies of any size!
As per research by Spill and Censuswide found that 38% of tech sector workers have considered therapy for the first time this year. The data also indicates that there is a need for psychological support across companies of all sizes, be it startups or larger organisations. Eventually, there is a high demand for employee mental health support, which resulted in a rapid growth in the business of Spill in 2020.
As of now, Spill employs over 30 therapists in the U.K., who work remotely over video, phone or message. They are registered with the BACP, NCS or an equivalent professional body, have at least 200 hours’ clinical experience, and a minimum three-year relevant degree. Some of them have completed a course of six therapy sessions. Spill claims to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety than any other either NHS therapy or a course of antidepressants.
Treats via Slack app
Back in January last year, the company launched its Slack app, which helped it grow from 0 to 100+ paying companies in less than a year. Its notable clients include Typeform, Bulb and Depop. Previously, a message-based therapy app for iOS and Android was used by the company to treat mental health issues.
The all-in-one mental health support through Slack lets an employee of a company sign up to Spill and book a video session with a qualified therapist in just three clicks. Alternatively, they can message a therapist and receive a considered reply by the next day or browse mental health tools and content, all using Slack.