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This startup wants to scale anonymous mental health support - starting with foun...

 2 years ago
source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/startup-wants-scale-anonymous-mental-190008384.html
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This startup wants to scale anonymous mental health support - starting with founders

Natasha Mascarenhas
Sat, September 3, 2022, 4:00 AM·4 min read

Nate Tepper first went to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an international program dedicated to helping people recover from alcoholism with a 12-step program, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. He didn’t show his face or share his story, but says that being in the presence of vulnerability was immensely impactful.

Following the recommended level of frequency for folks getting into the program, Tepper went to 30 meetings in 30 days. Now, two years later, he’s starting a company to scale his favorite parts of the program in hopes of reaching other people in need.

The result is Humans Anonymous, a social audio platform that connects people with similar identities, whether that’s a teacher or a single parent, to create an anonymous space to freely share their experiences. Unlike other mental health-focused startups out there, it’s not trying to provide support through life coaches or trained professionals -- it’s just trying to provide space. (AA, in contrast, has a wealth of liturgy that provides a framework for its adherents to follow.)

I am so excited and nervous to announce my new startup, Humans Anonymous.

We’re building anonymous audio spaces for mental health.

But first I want to share how my experience in Alcoholics Anonymous inspired this company 🧵👇

— Nate Tepper (@NateTepper) August 4, 2022

After launching publicly last month after more than a year in stealth, Humans Anonymous has now announced fresh funding in the form of a $1.7 million pre-seed round led by Glass Ventures and Backend Capital, with participation from Ten VC and Authentic Ventures.

Upon entering a Humans Anonymous room, users are invited to share in three-minute chunks, one person at a time. There’s no ability for others to unmute, chime in or even “take over” a conversation, Tepper said. While this could spiral pretty fast -- let’s say one person gets an unfiltered opportunity to target someone who just spoke up -- there is always a moderator in the channel who has authority to block or ban people. To keep control of conversation setup and flow, Humans Anonymous doesn’t allow users to create their own room.


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