PROfounders Capital and Calm/Storm Ventures have invested GBP1 million into sex therapy app Blueheart.
The fresh capital will be used to expand the available suite of therapy sessions and advance therapeutic research, as well as improving the app’s AI capabilities.
The app provides sex and relationship therapy based on the latest scientific research via sessions designed by sex therapist Dr Katherine Hertlein, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy. Dr Hertlein is joining Blueheart as their expert advisor.
The Blueheart app deals with three main areas: thought sessions that focus on sexual fears and anxieties; body sessions, which centre around building a positive relationship with your body; and connection sessions, which focus on how to communicate effectively.
“Sex plays a huge role in our lives; our intimate relationships are often our greatest source of joy,” said Sachin Raoul, co-founder and CEO of BlueHeart.
“Despite this, sexual dysfunction is poorly addressed by existing digital platforms, particularly when compared to the proliferation of those focused on pleasure. At the same time, sex therapy is unaffordable for most people, despite being highly effective. That’s the gap Blueheart is bridging,” added Raoul.
The app was launched in beta phase last year and has several thousand users today. “There’s a lot of noise in the wellness and ‘self-improvement’ market, but very few offerings focus on evidence-based solutions which match the efficacy of in-person therapy,” said Rogan Angelini-Hurll, general partner at PROfounders Capital, who will be joining Blueheart’s board following the deal.
The Wiley Handbook of Sex Therapy estimates that 20-30 percent of women struggle with low libido in relationships. “Blueheart was one of our easiest investment decisions. Digitizing a proven methodology to tackle a global health crisis is compelling,” commented Lucanus Polagnoli, co-founder of Calm/Storm Ventures. Calm/Storm Ventures is a boutique venture capital firm based in Vienna.
