UK-based digital mental health company Healios has just closed a $2.9 million (£2.2 million) funding round led by Albion Capital and Spice Capital. 

The platform connects patients to mental health professionals for assessments, treatments, and wellbeing check-ins. It also gives patients and clinicians the ability to connect through video conferencing and interactive digital tools. The digital health tool is designed so that different family members can be connected on the platform. 

“Healios is a hugely exciting prospect, and offers a model that we believe can change the face of mental healthcare for millions of patients,” Andrew Elder, partner and head of healthcare at Albion Capital, said in a statement. “Mental health cases in the [National Health Service (NHS)] are rising dramatically and Healios not only provides a solution to meeting the demand, but also enhancing the service from both a personal and medical perspective. We look forward to working with the team to bring this extraordinary platform to many more families across the UK and beyond.”

When a patient signs up for the platform, the company works with the user to connect them to the services that fit their needs. Clinicians will work with patients to give them skills to cope with their challenges, with the learned skills will then appear on the patient's private MyHealios section on the platform. Healios claims that 80 percent of young people chose the platform over going to in-person therapy sessions. 

Healios will use the new money to grow the scale of its operations and enable the platform to be used more widely in the NHS and in private organizations. 

The British company is currently working with the UK’s NHS to integrate the platform into the health system’s network, with the goal being for NHS patients to have access seven days a week. 

“Technology and digital tools are resetting our expectations of every interaction that we have, including the way we think about mental healthcare. Healios brings transformative technology to the forefront of the treatment experience to deliver excellent mental healthcare that is accessible anywhere,” Richard Andrews, founder and CEO of Healios, said in a statement. “Demand for our services continues to grow significantly as families require flexible and convenient assessment, treatment, and support. This funding will allow us to expand strategically to increase access, innovate rapidly, and execute on our vision to help families in need around the world.”