Matt Vitale, the CEO and cofounder of Birchal, has stepped down from his leadership role and away from the business, saying he was “a bit broken” after eight years of building the pioneering crowdfunding platform. Techstars boss Kirstin Hunter will take on an advisory role as CEO transition lead in the interim, Birchal chair Adam… Read more »
A new Australian research initiative aiming to shed light on the often-overlooked mental health challenges facing founders and their relationship with investors, to address a critical knowledge gap in the startup community wants to know what you think. Recent international studies have revealed a significant disconnect between founders’ mental health struggles and their willingness to… Read more »
Perth VC fund Purpose Ventures has continued a busy week leading a $4 million raise for mental healthcare marketplace My Mirror. Purpose also backed a $2 million raise for WA venue booking startup SpaceToCo this week. The round for My Mirror was also supported by new and existing investors, including Roger Allen, the pioneering startup… Read more »
As governments worldwide move to restrict teenagers’ access to smartphones and social media, a fierce scientific debate has erupted over whether these digital technologies actually harm young people’s mental health. The controversy, sparked by an influential recent book blaming phones for rising youth anxiety, has exposed deep uncertainties in the research evidence – even as… Read more »
Recently, Channel 10’s ‘The Project’ aired a segment on inTruth Technologies, the company I founded in 2021 to tackle one of the most significant challenges of our world today; self awareness and mental health. inTruth is the first of its kind; a technology that can track emotion with clinical grade accuracy through consumer grade wearables.… Read more »
In November 2021, one week before I was going to sign investment docs for our first investment round for Orkestra, I woke up having a panic attack. It was the second attack in two weeks, but I’d never experienced them before and haven’t experienced them since. That morning, my wife had to ring my cofounder,… Read more »
How is your brain? Is it healthy? Do you think about how best to look after it? So many of us only see brain health through the prism of disease or injury rather than how best to optimise our brain’s performance. During my deep dive into Ageing, I have become a fan of Dr Sandi… Read more »
Psychosocial health and safety is a hot topic right now, but what does is actually mean for startups and small businesses? If you’re scratching your head wondering “WTF are psychosocial hazards?” you’re not alone. Let’s break it down. What is a psychosocial hazard? Psychosocial hazards are elements within the workplace that can negatively impact an… Read more »
Mentwell, a gift card healthcare startup that’s honed in on mental health and wellness, has raised $228,950 in a crowdfunding campaign. The Birchal campaign in June was backed by 117 investors as the platform looks to expand into the US and UK markets. Mentwell founder and CEO Nikki Williams said her mission is to revolutionise… Read more »
Virtual sailing could assist with mental health treatment according to researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, who’ve launched a world-first digital project to manage Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The Swinburne researchers will use the cutting-edge technology of industry partner Virtual Sailing, which involves a sailing simulator (a boat with highly realistic movement on sailing navigation) and… Read more »
Mental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman has resigned from the position over concerns the government is not doing enough to address the issue. The investor and entrepreneur, who founded venture capital fund Real VC, and marketing startup Unlockd, took on the role in December 2021 following his own diagnosis with dipolar disorder and an attempt… Read more »
ChatGPT has repeatedly made headlines since its release late last year, with various scholars and professionals exploring its potential applications in both work and education settings. However, one area receiving less attention is the tool’s usefulness as a conversationalist and – dare we say – as a potential friend. Some chatbots have left an unsettling… Read more »
Investor Rayn Ong pointed out recently that “VCs (and angels) say no to 95% of the founders they meet with”. That’s ignoring the many more no responses over emails and even DMs (from some brave founders). As anyone in startup land will attest, the no comes in many forms. There is of course the quick,… Read more »
At least one in ten people have depression at some point in their lives, with some estimates closer to one in four. It’s one of the worst things for someone’s wellbeing – worse than debt, divorce or diabetes. One in seven Australians take antidepressants. Psychologists are in high demand. Still, only half of people with… Read more »
Even tech experts have been astonished by the recent, rapid growth of AI technology, able to hold human-like conversations in multiple languages, create music and pass medical exams. While the potential benefits of AI in fields such as healthcare are indeed inspiring, the pace of change is rapid, and there is still lots of uncertainty… Read more »
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