In a groundbreaking move for the digital health space, Jimini, an AI-backed therapy platform, has secured $8 million in pre-seed funding. The New York-based startup is poised to transform the mental health landscape by combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with traditional therapy to create a more personalized and accessible treatment experience. Jimini offers a unique solution for patients struggling with various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, OCD, grief, PTSD, postpartum depression, and panic disorder.
The platform’s AI therapist assistant, named Sage, plays a central role in enhancing the therapeutic experience. Prior to a patient’s first therapy session, Sage initiates a series of activities designed to gather key information that will aid the therapist in understanding the patient’s needs and concerns. By collecting relevant data before the first appointment, Sage ensures that the clinician is well-prepared, which leads to more efficient and targeted sessions. This proactive approach helps maximize the effectiveness of the therapy from the start, ensuring that both the therapist and patient are aligned in their goals.
After the first session, patients don’t just walk away with new insights and strategies; they also receive a recap of their goals, ensuring that progress is tracked and expectations are set for the future. But Jimini’s commitment to ongoing support doesn’t stop there. Patients can continue to engage with their therapist through a messaging feature, which allows for consistent communication throughout the week. Additionally, Sage remains an integral part of the care plan, offering further activities and support tailored to the patient’s needs. This dual approach—AI assistance coupled with the expertise of a licensed therapist—creates a comprehensive, dynamic system for mental health care that goes beyond traditional therapy.
Jimini is not just another chatbot with generic responses. Unlike many existing AI tools in the behavioral health space, Sage is specifically designed to serve a clinical purpose. It is integrated into the patient’s care plan and overseen by the therapist, ensuring that the use of AI enhances, rather than replaces, the human element of therapy. Sage’s role is goal-specific and aligned with the therapeutic process, which sets it apart from other digital health tools that function as general-purpose companions without clinical oversight. According to Luis Voloch, CEO and co-founder of Jimini Health, “Jimini is the only AI-backed therapy platform with clinically integrated AI that works synergistically with the therapist to drive more value to the patient than either could on their own.”
The startup’s emphasis on safety and clinical oversight is one of its key differentiators. Many chatbot-based solutions have come under scrutiny for lacking proper safety mechanisms, and Jimini has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that Sage has the right escalation methods in place to handle urgent or sensitive situations. This commitment to patient safety is reflected in the design of the platform, which prioritizes not just user engagement but also clinical value.
Jimini’s therapy services are available at a starting price of $200 per session, which includes unlimited messaging with a therapist, AI-assistant support, and the virtual therapy appointment itself. This pricing model makes therapy more accessible to a broader audience, while the combination of AI-driven tools and licensed clinician involvement helps ensure that patients receive high-quality care. The integration of Sage allows patients to receive ongoing support and resources outside of their scheduled sessions, which can be particularly helpful for those who need continuous engagement to stay on track with their mental health goals.
The funding round, which raised $8 million in pre-seed capital, was supported by several well-known investors in the digital health and venture capital space, including Zetta Venture Partners, LionBird, PsyMed, BoxGroup, Arkitekt Ventures, and SCB. This early-stage investment will help Jimini further refine its platform and expand its reach to more patients in need of mental health care.
Despite a slowdown in digital behavioral health funding in recent years, Jimini’s approach is standing out as a fresh and promising player in the market. In the past few months, several companies have secured significant funding rounds to continue expanding their virtual health services. For example, hybrid mental health startup Two Chairs raised $72 million in a Series C funding round in April, and virtual substance use disorder provider Pelago announced a $58 million Series C round in March. Jimini’s ability to combine AI and human expertise to provide a unique, personalized therapy experience has positioned the company as a leader in this space.
David Feinberg, advisor to Jimini Health and chairman at Oracle Health, highlighted the potential impact of AI in therapy, stating, “Large Language Models coupled with clinicians have the potential to radically improve outcomes in therapy for the first time in decades. The Jimini team is doing just that.” With the power of AI tools like Sage and the oversight of licensed therapists, Jimini is setting a new standard for mental health care that offers both accessibility and personalized treatment.
As digital health platforms continue to evolve, Jimini’s approach could become a model for the future of therapy, offering a dynamic, accessible, and goal-oriented experience that empowers both patients and clinicians. With its ability to blend the efficiency of AI with the compassionate care of human therapists, Jimini is paving the way for the next generation of mental health treatment, and as an AI-backed therapy platform, it has the potential to reshape how therapy is delivered at scale.
