Queer mental health companion Voda raises £270,000 to address the UK’s LGBTQ+ “mental health crisis”

Voda, a queer mental health companion created by LGBTQ+ psychotherapists, has raised £270,000 in pre-seed funding to “help combat” what it calls the UK’s LGBTQ+ “mental health crisis”. After a successful test launch in 2023, Voda secured funds from an investment round led by Freiraum Ventures, alongside impact investors Lightbulb Trust and ULTRA VC.

Designed to help LGBTQ+ people build self-compassion, heal and release shame, the funding will support the app’s offerings to provide inclusive and accessible mental health support for queer people.

The platform, co-designed with seven LGBTQ+ psychotherapists who identify across the spectrum of gender, sexuality and ethnicity, currently serves over 12,000 LGBTQ+ folks globally, with 4,000 users based in the UK, the largest percentage of its global users.

The app teaches the user evidence-based therapy approaches to self-regulate, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and mindfulness.

In February 2024 research, led by University of Manchester, found that trans people in England are more likely to have long-term poor mental health, with some facing a risk five times higher than cisgender people. In 2022, YouGov reported that half of LGBTQ+ Britons (51%) said they experienced or were diagnosed with a mental health condition, compared to a third of the general population (32%).

Jaron Soh, co-founder and CEO of Voda commented: “The LGBTQ+ community faces significantly higher rates of mental health issues due to systemic discrimination and personal trauma. This disproportionate impact has been widely documented. Yet, the financial inaccessibility of private therapy, combined with the lack of LGBTQ+ affirming care within the NHS is worsening this mental health crisis, leaving many without the support they need.

“This needs to change. And the approach must be rooted in empathy, kindness and inclusivity. We started Voda because each of us had faced mental health struggles related to our queer identities and wanted to create a supportive space for others on similar journeys.

“Our personal experiences of overcoming shame and the lack of access to genuine support have gone on to shape the app for our users. We hope that by placing lived experience at the forefront of our approach, Voda will have more impact and foster deeper understanding and connection with queer folks.”