By Riley Kaminer
A quarter of US adults – 58 million Americans – suffer from a mental health condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and 85% of those adults inflicted with a mental health condition go undiagnosed or untreated. Many of those who receive treatment report that it is ineffective.
It is within this context that Miami startup Nue Life aims to leverage a mixture of technology and psychedelics to help improve our mental health. Since launching in 2021, the company has delivered at-home ketamine treatments to over 8,000 patients across the U.S. Alongside this treatment, Nue Life provides its patients with digital tools and aftercare programs to ensure that they are making the most of their experience.
Today, Nue Life has opened its app up to all patients in the US that are undergoing ketamine therapy, no matter if they are part of a Nue Life program or not. This enables users to also gain the same benefits that Nue Life patients receive through the combination of ketamine prescriptions with the on-going digital and virtual support delivered by its multidisciplinary guides and coaches via the Nue Life app.
Additionally, Nue Life has announced a $1.9 million fundraise to further catalyze the company’s growth. Investors in this round include Obvious Ventures; certain members of the Getty Family; and Myelin VC, led by two Argentine founders with deep Miami roots: Alec Oxenford and Martin Varsavsky. This is on top of the $23 million the company raised in April 2022.
“These funds will continue to work towards profitability,” co-founder and COO Demian Bellumio told Refresh Miami. “This round will also fund the next stage of the company, as we continue to become a major platform in the industry.”
Bellumio, a Miami native and serial entrepreneur who has been a fixture of our local tech scene for the better part of two decades, shared his pride in building Nue Life in Miami.
“We are one of the two leading companies doing this,” he said. “We are transforming the mental health space right here from Miami.”
“We are trying to embody everything that is Miami in the way we’re delivering services by not just by providing medications, but promoting a change in lifestyle,” Bellumio continued. “The fact that we’re based in Miami is very aligned with the ethos of the company. Miami is known as the capital of happiness – and we’re helping people live happier, healthier lives.”
Bellumio recently shared his experience growing Nue Life while appearing on a panel at Madrid’s South Summit conference, as part of a delegation of Miamians promoting links between these two cities’ tech ecosystems.
Ten of Nue Life’s 50 employees are based in Miami. While Nue Life is remote-first, the company has headquarters located in Miami Beach. Today they also announced that two-time entrepreneur and psychiatrist Dr. Frank Drummond has joined Nue Life as its new chief medical officer.
In a statement, Nue Life co-founder and CEO Juan Pablo Cappello, another longstanding name in Miami tech, underscored the importance for Nue Life to provide not only the medication, but also the tools that help patients make the most of their treatment.
“We have seen that patients who take advantage of our full program experience a 20-30% improvement over the baseline of drug-only therapy. We are now excited to make all these tools, content and preparation and after-care programs available to all users that may be undergoing ketamine treatment with providers across the US, including at-home or within clinics or offices, but that are not necessarily supported in their daily journey as Nue Life’s patients are, so they can more effectively improve the quality of their lives.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Mental wellness startup Nue Life secures $23M funding round for its national expansion
- #MiamiTech shines at Madrid’s South Summit conference
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