Amsterdam-based Birdt Health, a mental health provider, announced on Wednesday, May 24, that it has secured €250K in early-stage funding from Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland.
Birdt Health’s goal is to bridge the gap in mental health care by introducing an innovative platform that offers accessible and effective online treatments.
Alternative transdiagnostic approaches
Leveraging the network model, Birdt aims to develop a platform that provides alternative transdiagnostic approaches to mental health issues.
Through this platform, individuals can conveniently schedule online therapy sessions, known as Single Session Therapy, with experienced psychologists.
Instead of relying on traditional diagnoses and standardised treatments, the Birdt method offers a personalised pathway. Clients can book sessions themselves focusing on their specific concerns and questions.
By doing so, Birdt empowers clients to take control of their therapy. This includes deciding when the sessions occur, the topics they wish to discuss, and the overall direction of their treatment.
Additionally, this approach enables clients to promptly address their problems or issues, eliminating the need to wait for months or years on a waiting list.
The Birdt method is supported by an app that contains the client’s personal plan. It also provides support outside of therapy sessions with exercises that are easy to integrate into daily life.
This immediate access to necessary care ensures effective problem resolution and prevents unnecessary deterioration over time.
Within the Proof-of-Concept project, Birdt Health will further develop and refine this method based on scientific insights and user experiences.
The project will enable Birdt Health to research and prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the method and prepare for its further implementation and scale-up.
Birdt Health
Founded in 2023 by Mark Willems, Birdt Health is an Amsterdam-based startup developing a digital platform for more effective mental health treatment.
Willems, who is the CEO of Birdt Health, says, “Birdt Health is committed to providing accessible, personalised, and effective mental health care, with the goal of creating positive change within the mental health landscape.”
Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland
The Innovation Fund North Holland is an initiative of the Province of North Holland, the University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, and Sanquin.
The Fund supports entrepreneurs in North Holland in financing innovation in the Proof-of-Concept phase by providing convertible loans.
The Innovation Fund North Holland manages two funds – a fund for innovative startups, supported by the RVO, and a fund for academic startups, supported by ERDF.
Wouter Keij, Fund Manager at the Innovation Fund North Holland, says, “The innovative method now being researched from theory into practice and applied by Birdt Health has the potential to offer more effective treatments to many people with mental health problems.”
