Mental health startup TheShareCo launches mobile app in Singapore

TheShareCo, a company under the education technology startup Tueetor, has gone live with a mobile mental health app in Singapore.

WHAT IT DOES

Available on both iOS and Android devices, the Share app offers round-the-clock, online on-demand counselling for individuals or groups. It features a videotelephony module, accompanied by annotation and chat tools. 

According to a media release, the app does not require registration for those who will access its free resources. 

For users seeking online consultations, they do not have to wait long and fill in long pre-consultation questionnaires. 

First, they need to select the issues they wish to deal with and their preferred language. They also have the option to book a therapist on the spot or by schedule. Then, the platform will directly and instantly match them with a therapist. After a session, the app will charge them a flat price regardless of whether it was an individual or group counselling.

Share was created by the same team behind the online tutor marketplace Tueetor and tutor on-demand app 10-Min Tutor.

Additionally, Share also offers a corporate package that includes three therapy sessions each month.

WHY IT MATTERS

In a survey conducted by Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health between 2020 and 2021, about 13% of more than a thousand Singaporean adults polled claimed they experience symptoms of depression or anxiety during the pandemic. 

Young Singaporeans who were surveyed by the National Youth Council around the same period shared that the pandemic has challenged their mental wellbeing. 

There was also a sharp increase in feelings of isolation among senior people surveyed by the Singapore Management University’s Centre for Research on Successful Ageing.

TheShareCo’s latest mobile app adds to the many resources available to Singaporeans who are dealing with mental health issues. It claims to offer an affordable and accessible service by combining discovery, booking, consultation, review and payment in a single app.

“Precious human lives are at stake here, and I feel strongly that if we can help tackle the issue in any way, particularly through technology, we should explore it earnestly. One life lost is one too many,” TheShareCo founder Tan Han Sing said.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

In the first half of the year, two Singapore-based mental health startups drew investments to accelerate their expansions across APAC. In January, Intellect secured $10 million in a Series A funding round, which it will use to rapidly scale across the region.

The following month, corporate mental health and wellness platform MindFi scored $2 million in seed funding, which it plans to use for localising its product within the region.