Taking care of mental well-being should be a standard part of a healthy lifestyle, much like regular physical exercise. However, establishing consistent exercise habits can be challenging. Peloton successfully tackled fitness by integrating smart stationary bikes with live classes and social elements to deliver a captivating experience. Now, a new company, MindLabs, is applying a similar strategy to the realm of mental wellness.

The London-based company, MindLabs, recently announced that it has secured £1.4 million (approximately USD $1.82 million) in pre-seed funding. Passion Capital spearheaded the investment, with additional contributions from SeedCamp, and several founders of prominent British consumer technology businesses: Alex Chesterman (Cazoo and Zoopla); Neil Hutchinson (Forward Internet Group); Steve Pankhurst (FriendsReunited); James Hind (Carwow); and Jack Tang (Urban).

MindLabs was established earlier this year by Adnan Ebrahim and Gabor Szedlak, the individuals who previously founded and managed Car Throttle, a digital media and community platform that was acquired by Dennis Publishing last year. According to Ebrahim, MindLabs aims to “normalize mental healthcare, making it as routine as a trip to the gym.”

Their platform is scheduled to launch next year, beginning with a mobile application that features live video sessions led by mental health experts focusing on meditation and mindfulness techniques. The app will also incorporate tools for users to monitor their stress levels. The complete platform will also include “Halo,” an EEG headband designed to measure physiological signals, such as heart rate and breathing patterns, to help users assess the effectiveness of their sessions.

The transition from CarThrottle, often described as “a BuzzFeed for cars,” to mental wellness may appear significant, but Ebrahim explained that their experience “leading a media company in a competitive market with a young, millennial team” prompted them to consider this issue more deeply.

Ebrahim stated, “We directly observed a substantial lack of support for this generation’s mental health needs, delivered in a format they readily embrace: a mobile-first, video-centric community product.”

“Furthermore, we personally navigated the challenges of maintaining our own mental well-being while managing the demands of a rapidly growing, venture-backed company. Recognizing the concerning statistics surrounding suicide and depression among young adults, we realized that addressing our own difficulties could potentially benefit millions of others.”

Following their departure from Dennis Publishing, the two founders began working on MindLabs at the end of January. Over the subsequent months, including the period of COVID-19 lockdown, they conducted research and developed initial concepts for the platform.

Ebrahim noted, “It’s accurate to say that the pandemic influenced the direction of MindLabs.” He continued, “For instance, we integrated more real-time community features into the app in response to the isolation and loneliness experienced during lockdown. Our goal is to help individuals feel less alone during difficult times, while also providing the convenience of accessing our videos from home.”

“This approach has already proven successful in the fitness industry, with companies like Peloton experiencing substantial growth, and we anticipate a similar trend unfolding in the mental wellness space,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also been characterized as a mental health crisis, leading to increased downloads of meditation and mindfulness applications such as Calm, Headspace and Relax: Master Your Destiny, as individuals seek ways to cope with anxiety, isolation and depression.

MindLabs’ platform distinguishes itself from other mental wellness apps through its combination of video classes and an EEG headband. The video sessions will vary in length from 10 to 40 minutes and will be available both live and as pre-recorded, on-demand content, similar to Peloton’s class structure.

Rather than organizing videos by specific techniques (such as meditation, breathing, or visualization), MindLabs will categorize them based on the issues users are seeking to address, including anxiety, relationships, motivation, or addiction. For example, meditation classes might focus on “Managing COVID-19 Anxiety” or “Dealing with Workplace Stress.”

Community features will be integrated with the classes, displaying the number of concurrent users and a live feed of subscriber accomplishments, such as streaks or time spent in a “calm state,” allowing for positive reinforcement through reactions from other users.

The Halo headband was developed in collaboration with a hardware specialist with seven years of experience in building and distributing medical-grade wearable devices.

“Crucially, our headset will undergo the rigorous ISO 13485 certification process to ensure the highest product quality and data accuracy,” Ebrahim emphasized. “We aim to make this technology accessible, and we anticipate the Halo’s price point will be comparable to that of an Apple Watch.”

While other EEG headbands, including those from Muse and Emotiv, are already available, MindLabs’ headband will provide users with visual data before, during, and after their classes, including information about brain waves, heart rate, and muscle tension, which will be saved within the app for progress tracking.

Developing a Routine for Mental Wellbeing

A significant hurdle for all applications focused on mental wellness is maintaining consistent user activity. Individuals experiencing stress, depression, or a demanding schedule may find it challenging to regularly engage with a self-guided mental health application. Conversely, when feeling improved, they may discontinue regular check-ins.

Ebrahim identifies this as a key advantage for MindLabs, with its EEG headband and data visualization capabilities being central to this approach. “Despite the numerous mental health apps available, sustaining user engagement remains a problem. We believe this stems from a lack of genuine understanding of users by these applications,” he explained.

“The data we can present, both from the Halo device and through integration with Apple HealthKit, allows us to demonstrate a clear, positive trend in our subscribers’ mental health – much like tracking weight loss on a scale or observing improvements in heart-rate variability within an app. This fosters a strong habit by enabling us to effectively reinforce the connection between effort and mental fitness gains.”

He also noted that joining live sessions encourages commitment. “Scheduling a class and participating alongside a large group creates a motivating experience, comparable to having a personal trainer ensure you attend and complete your workout.”

MindLabs also intends to foster communities centered around its instructors. Instructors will acknowledge new members and highlight user accomplishments during live broadcasts. Following each session, users will receive a results summary they can share, similar to the sharing features found in fitness apps such as Strava or Nike Training Club.

Regarding the safeguarding of personal information, Ebrahim affirmed that MindLabs is “strongly opposed to the sale or commercial use of user data.” The company will instead generate revenue through subscription models, and data gathered via Halo or the application will solely be utilized to provide tailored content suggestions.

Eileen Burbidge, a partner at Passion Capital, expressed enthusiasm for their investment in MindLabs, stating, “We are thrilled to collaborate with MindLabs as they redefine mental healthcare. Mindfulness is critically important today, and we are confident that Adnan and Gabor’s dedication to exceptional content, high-quality production, and a superior user experience positions them perfectly to introduce this platform to the market.”