Drawing on mobile game concepts, Revery wants to make therapy interactive and fun, helping the focus on mental health to become part of a daily lifestyle.
Gamified wellness company Revery today announced US$2 million in pre-seed funding led by Surge, a rapid scale-up program by Sequoia Capital India for startups in India and Southeast Asia. Revery is in beta stealth and has plans to launch globally later this year, starting with a focus on the US market.
Founders Tammie Siew and Khoa Tran started Revery to help others redefine the management of mental wellbeing by combining cognitive behavioural therapy with gameplay and technology. Drawing on mobile game concepts, Revery wants to make therapy interactive and fun, helping the focus on mental health to become part of a daily lifestyle.
Khoa was first inspired to develop this concept for sleep therapy, as he had first-hand experience on how poor sleep could cause troubling health problems. At the age of 15, Khoa was diagnosed with hypertension and a host of other conditions needing medication. It wasn’t until he was 26 that Khoa found out his poor sleep was the root cause. After correcting his sleep issues, his blood pressure is now normal and many of his previous conditions have improved.
The effects of chronic sleep loss are well researched, and countless studies have shown that a lack of sleep can increase the risk of mental disorders, cardiovascular disease, and serious health conditions like diabetes and dementia. In Asia, young adults get the least sleep compared to their peers in Europe, Middle East and America due to cultural habits, and higher work and educational demands. Options beyond medication are often limited and therapy can come with a steep price tag for many people who may not be able to afford ongoing care.
Source: Business World
