Circles, a New York-based digital mental health startup, has announced a $16.5 million Series A funding round aimed at expanding its therapist-led peer support platform for digital emotional support groups. The round was led by Zeev Ventures, with additional participation from Lior Ron, Head of Uber Freight, along with NFX, Flint Capital, and Sir Ronald Cohen. With this latest round, Circles has raised a total of approximately $24.5 million since its founding in 2020.
This funding comes at a pivotal time for Circles, as demand continues to grow for more accessible and personalized mental health care. At its core, Circles offers a unique alternative to traditional therapy: small, therapist-led digital emotional support groups that foster connection among individuals going through similar life challenges. Whether someone is grieving the loss of a loved one, navigating a difficult divorce, or recovering from a toxic relationship, Circles creates an emotionally safe space for healing through community.
A Peer-Supported Mental Health Model
Founded by Irad Eichler and Dan Landa, Circles was built on the understanding that people heal better together—especially when supported by others who genuinely understand what they’re going through. The platform brings together six to eight individuals facing similar challenges into weekly video support groups, guided by a licensed therapist. These groups serve as digital emotional support groups, where participants can share their experiences, listen, offer encouragement, and receive expert guidance.
Users start their Circles journey by answering a series of onboarding questions. This information is used to match them with the most appropriate support group. The goal is to create a setting where shared experiences foster trust, empathy, and healing. Examples of group themes include grief, divorce, parenting stress, and narcissistic relationship recovery. By carefully curating these matches, Circles ensures that each digital emotional support group is more than a meeting—it’s a source of ongoing strength.
Subscription-Based Access to Connection and Guidance
Circles operates on a monthly subscription model priced at $79. This includes weekly therapist-led video sessions, unlimited chat access to group members, and a personalized library of content and resources tailored to each user’s specific challenges. Beyond the weekly meetings, members of each digital emotional support group can continue the conversation asynchronously through chat, offering round-the-clock peer support.
This continuous engagement is a defining characteristic of Circles’ offering. Traditional therapy models are often limited to scheduled appointments and one-on-one sessions. Circles, by contrast, promotes the idea that support shouldn’t be confined to the therapist’s office. Their digital emotional support groups offer ongoing access to both peers and professionals, reinforcing a sense of community throughout the week.
Investing in Better Matching and Scalable Growth
With the newly acquired funding, Circles plans to expand its research and development team, specifically to improve the platform’s matching algorithms. The company believes that better group matching results in deeper connections, more effective support, and stronger outcomes. The more accurately Circles can pair individuals with the right digital emotional support group, the more likely those individuals are to stay engaged and experience meaningful progress.
The company also plans to use the funding to enhance its content offerings, expand into new emotional health topics, and reach a wider demographic. As the digital mental health industry becomes more competitive, Circles’ ability to provide high-quality, scalable care through digital emotional support groups sets it apart from the field.
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Circles joins a growing number of digital mental health startups aiming to fill gaps in traditional care models. Companies like Meru Health—which raised $38 million in Series B funding—also incorporate peer support, though as part of a broader clinical program. ShareWell, launched in 2021, provides similar virtual peer support but without the involvement of licensed therapists.
What differentiates Circles is its hybrid approach, which combines the relational power of peer groups with the structure and safety of professional facilitation. This balance allows participants to express themselves openly while still receiving therapeutic guidance—something that purely peer-led or purely clinician-led models may struggle to offer. This unique blend reinforces the value of Circles’ digital emotional support groups in providing both empathy and accountability.
Digital Mental Health’s Surge in Popularity
According to Rock Health, digital mental health startups raised $5.1 billion in venture capital in 2021, underscoring investor confidence in virtual behavioral health solutions. Much of this surge was driven by the pandemic, which exposed the limitations of in-person mental health services and accelerated the need for remote, flexible care.
As digital solutions continue to mature, companies like Circles are pushing the industry beyond teletherapy into a more community-centric model. Digital emotional support groups offer not only clinical insight but also relational support, which many users find just as essential to their healing process. This model is especially appealing to individuals who may feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable with traditional therapy formats.
Expanding Topics and Global Reach
With its new capital, Circles is also looking to broaden the variety of support groups offered. Future plans include digital emotional support groups for caregivers, people living with chronic illnesses, parents of neurodiverse children, and individuals facing career burnout. These additional offerings will help meet the needs of people whose experiences are often underserved in clinical settings.
Furthermore, Circles is exploring international expansion. Emotional challenges and life transitions are universal, and the company sees global potential for its model. By scaling its digital emotional support groups globally, Circles could bring peer-based healing to communities that lack mental health infrastructure altogether.
The Future of Community-Based Mental Health Care
As mental health becomes an increasingly normalized and vital part of overall well-being, platforms like Circles are helping redefine what care can look like. By building scalable, community-first models through digital emotional support groups, Circles is helping more people access the help they need—when they need it, and with people who truly understand them.
With $16.5 million in new funding and a growing presence in the digital health space, Circles is well-positioned to lead the charge in peer-based, therapist-supported care. For many navigating life’s toughest transitions, these digital emotional support groups may be the connection that makes all the difference.
