Pioneering psychiatrist raises US$8m to launch ‘AI-powered’ mental health app

Dr David D. Burns, world-renowned psychiatrist and author, has raised US$8m to launch an “AI-powered” app aimed at people suffering from depression and anxiety.

The Feeling Great app combines mental health research with “evidence-based” techniques to equip users with skills to live a more fulfilling life.

The company, which includes co-founders Matt Pierce and Jeremy Karmel, has raised US$8m in seed funding co-led by Learn Capital and TitleTownTech with additional participation from Lux Ventures, WaveMaker Three-Sixty Health, Pacific Health Ventures, and Treble Capital.

The funding is hoped to support the ongoing development of the app.

“The Feeling Great app represents the pinnacle of my life’s work in psychiatry and cognitive behavioural therapy, putting decades of research and proven techniques directly into people’s hands,” said Dr Burns.

“Our goal is to empower individuals to transform their lives, making effective mental health care more accessible than ever before and helping millions of people not just feel better, but feel great.”

The Feeling Great app is not just another mental health application, said Burns.

The app, he claimed, is a culmination of extensive work, encompassing over 40,000 hours of therapy with depressed and anxious individuals, and 40 years of research into the mechanisms of human psychological change.

Jill Enos, managing partner at TitleTownTech, said: “Feeling Great sits right at the intersection of two of the most important societal shifts of our time: the emergence of AI and the mental health crisis.

“The demand for convenient, cost-effective and results-oriented mental health tools has never been greater, and Feeling Great meets that need in a powerful way. TitleTownTech is thrilled to be part of their journey.”

The Feeling Great app uses an AI framework to guide users based on the T.E.A.M. (Testing, Empathy, Assessment of Resistance and Methods) therapeutic approach developed by Burns.

According to the company, this system is both flexible and adaptive, leading to natural language conversations, empathetic responses, and actionable solutions for users.

Rob Hutter, founder and managing partner of Learn Capital, said: “In an era when mental health disorders affect one in every five adults annually, and the cost of therapy in the US has put it out of reach for many people, Feeling Great’s mission has greater resonance than ever.

“Dr Burns is a legend in the field of psychiatry, and together with Matt and Jeremy, who have extensive experience in bringing innovative consumer products to market, they make a formidable team that we’re proud to be able to support.”