GIMBHI Weekly Recap: March 4 - 11

GIMBHI is the trusted source of analysis in the world of mental, behavioral, and brain health innovation. Our weekly recap covers the latest breakthroughs, funding, developments, and news on mental health startups.

March 04: 👔 Cerebral's former CEO just raised seed funding from Morningside for a new mental health startup (Business Insider)

Former Cerebral CEO Dr. David Mou raised seed funding from Morningside for AdvocateMH, a new mental health startup focused on patient advocacy and quality referrals, co-founded with psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Insel.

March 10: 👀 CentralReach Reportedly Considering Exit, Eyes $1B Valuation (Behavioral Health Business)

CentralReach, a leading autism therapy software provider, is reportedly considering a sale at a $1 billion valuation, engaging William Blair & Co. to explore options following strong growth and multiple acquisitions.

March 4: 💵 Bluebird Kids Health Lands $31M for Value-Based Integrated Behavioral-Physical Pediatrics Model (Behavioral Health Business)

Bluebird Kids Health secured $31.5M led by F-Prime and .406 Ventures to expand its integrated, value-based pediatric model, combining physical and behavioral health to address underserved communities through Medicaid partnerships.

March 7: 🛏️ GEM HEALTH Secures $7M to Advance Virtual Sleep Care (MedCity News)

GEM HEALTH raised $7M Series A funding led by HealthTrend Capital and LFE Capital to expand virtual sleep care services, streamline obstructive sleep apnea treatment, and accelerate patient access nationwide.

March 10: ⌛ ‘It’s A Complex Job’: Why There Are No Quick Fixes to the Autism Therapy Wait Time Crisis (Behavioral Health Business)

Autism therapy wait times remain long due to shortages of qualified diagnosticians and technicians, low reimbursements, high turnover, and operational challenges, requiring systemic solutions beyond incremental improvements or quick fixes.

March 10: 🧠 Phase 1 Clinical Trial Launched Examines Safety, Efficacy of Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson Disease (Psychiatric Times)

A pioneering phase 1 clinical trial is testing a new stem cell therapy for Parkinson disease, using patients’ own reprogrammed cells to replace lost dopamine neurons, aiming to restore function safely.

March 10: 🩺 Innovation and Failure in Developing New Psychiatric Treatments (Psychiatric Times)

Dennis S. Charney emphasizes that innovation in psychiatry requires taking risks and embracing failure, illustrated by his pioneering work on ketamine for depression, while highlighting future promise in psychedelics and neuromodulation.

March 11: 💰 Workplace wellbeing and safety app raises another $40 million (Startup Daily)

Sonder, an eight-year-old workplace wellbeing and safety app, raised another $40M from existing backers and Hostplus, offering EAP-alternative mental health, safety, and location tracking services to over one million users.

March 11: 🖥️ £7 million WorkWell pilot scheme helps Greater Manchester residents stay in work while managing health (Marketing Stockport)

Greater Manchester’s £7 million WorkWell pilot offers personalized health and employment support, aiming to help 8,000 residents remain or return to work through early interventions, coaching, and community-based services.

March 10: 🤖 First Real-World Multisite Study Shows GenAI-Powered Mental Health Treatment Outperforms Standard of Care (Business Wire)

A real-world JMIR study shows GenAI chatbot Limbic Care improves therapy attendance by 42%, raises recovery 25%, and outperforms standard CBT in NHS settings, enhancing mental health care.

March 10: 📈 Non-traditional Investors Shake Up Behavioral Health Ecosystem (Behavioral Health Business)

Non-traditional investors, including payers and health systems, increasingly fund behavioral health startups, offering strategic advantages but potentially restricting client pools and shifting exit pathways compared to traditional venture capital.

March 11: 🦠 Psilocybin Benefits Clinicians Traumatized on Front Line of COVID-19 Pandemic (Psychiatric Times)

A single dose of psilocybin significantly reduced depression and improved PTSD and burnout symptoms among clinicians traumatized by frontline COVID-19 work, indicating its potential as a novel therapeutic approach.

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