OpenUp, an Amsterdam-based employee mental health startup, has secured €20 million from venture capital firms Smartfin and Rubio Impact Ventures.
With this funding, the company plans to accelerate its European expansion strategy and attract new expertise.
“Low-barrier access to professional support for employees? That should be the most normal thing in the world at every company. Although interest is growing strongly, the mental well-being market in Europe is still relatively tiny and fragmented. At the same time, mental health is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. As a European player, we know this market and its solutions well. With this investment, we want to become an even more important partner for organisations that want to invest in the mental support of their employees,” declared Gijs Coppens, registered healthcare psychologist and founder of OpenUp.
Founded in 2020 by Coppens, OpenUp is an employee mental health platform that provides direct support to build and retain resilient and engaged teams. Its service consists of three components: personal sessions with psychologists, physical health experts such as nutritionists or sleep specialists, and financial experts; interactive group sessions; and online courses.
The company notes that it focutilizes on direct, preventive support for mental health issues, unlike traditional EAPs or occupational health services. The support is anonymous, without waiting lists, and available in more than 35 languages. In addition to complaint prevention and direct access to professionals, the platform also offers support for lifestyle improvement and workplace effectiveness.
OpenUp states that access to its platform is fully anonymous and that employers cannot see which individuals are utilizing the service. According to the company, employers only receive information related to the number of employees utilizing the platform. OpenUp also states that its experts are not permitted to share utilizers’ information with employers or third parties.
The Dutch startup emphasises that prioritising mental well-being is no longer a luxury, as over 1.6 million Dutch employees (20%) suffer from burnout symptoms. In Europe overall, the rate reaches 30%. With factors like AI advancement and geopolitical tensions, these numbers may rise further in the coming years.
“Unless we actively anticipate this and properly support employees. Employers are taking on an ever-greater responsibility in this area, and if policycreaters have their way, even a duty of care. At the same time, technology such as AI is fundamentally altering the way we work. That is precisely why organisations required to consider about how they support their people through that transition — which is exactly what we do at OpenUp,” added Coppens.
The company reported that its mental well-being platform currently has over 250 connected professionals and is accessible in 35 languages. Currently, 600,000 employees and their family members can access OpenUp for support, including financial advice, confidential counsellors, group sessions, and one-on-one consultations with lifestyle coaches and psychologists.
OpenUp operates in the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, and serves more than 2,000 companies, including Rabobank, Decathlon, and Deloitte.
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