Czech psychological platform Hedepy has acquired Polish mental health company HearMe, becoming the largest player in Central and Eastern Europe. Both companies, founded in 2020, offer online psychotherapy services. With this acquisition, Hedepy aims for a turnover of €13 million (approx. 318 million CZK) this year. The merger enhances Hedepy's specialization in corporate clients, expanding its reach to nine markets and serving 50,000 clients annually.

One in two people is affected by a mental illness in their lives. The dramatic decline in mental well-being that occurred between 2019 and 2020 and continued into 2021 through the COVID-19 pandemic, persists with no sign of recovery, according to the latest Annual Mental State of the World report.The challenges posed by mental health conditions affect all ages and social groups. Specific groups have been particularly hard hit, including health and care workers, people with pre-existing mental health problems, and women.“Mental health is health – we don’t really differentiate and are very keen on investing in next-generation products and solutions that address the mental health crisis either directly or indirectly (better primary care, better modalities of exercise, sleep, nutrition, etc.)”, said Karel Zheng, an investor at KAYA, for The Recursive.A significant number of individuals living with mental health issues are not receiving the necessary treatment and support. There is a rise in diseases of despair, such as depression and anxiety disorders among young people, along with increased cases of self-harm and suicide. Moreover, specific challenges include burnout among workers.The world stands on the verge of a global mental health crisis, which “has led to a significant increase in demand for companies and professionals specializing in mental health support”, shared Michal Rokosz, Partner at Inovo VC. He also identifies two main trends, accounting for the development of the sector, one of them being the shift in the attitude towards mental health issues.“People now recognize that it is no different from physical health issues, removing much of the stigma that used to surround seeking therapy”, he said for The Recursive.“Secondly, there’s a growing interest from employers in supporting their employees’ mental well-being