Leading the UK’s well-being movement.
ADHD is up for debate.
Atypical
A record 7M American kids have ADHD, up from 2M in the mid ’90s. With one in nine now diagnosed, the condition’s causes—and even its validity—are under scrutiny.
Neurodivergence
While critics question its biological basis, most experts trace ADHD to a mix of genetic and environmental factors.
An official diagnosis requires at least six symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in kids or five in adults, but the range of qualifying behaviors is vast and varies.
Complicating matters, tech’s erosion of attention spans blurs the line between everyday distractability and neurodivergence. Still, a proper diagnosis can be crucial, helping ADHD’ers chart a care path and prevent complications.
- ADHD doubles the risk of addiction in kids.
- Adults with ADHD are nearly 3x more likely to develop dementia.
- Men with the condition lose seven years off life expectancy; women nine.
As TikTok fuels self-diagnosis, prescriptions for focus-boosting stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall are up >58% from 2012. But with studies showing these amphetamines could be a short-term fix that permanently stunts growth, some parents are pushing back.
Nature v. Nurture
Meds can be lifesaving, but for milder cases, a change of environment could do the trick.
Studies suggest ADHD symptoms aren’t fixed, becoming manageable when people find jobs suited to their nature.
Easier said than done, many athletes and entrepreneurs feel ADHD gives them an edge, enabling hyperfocus and high performance, but most desk jobs don’t accommodate neurodivergence.
Locking in. When boredom is inevitable, help is needed to tame the brain.
Delivering specialized psychiatry, Brightside and Rula combine nonstimulant meds with CBT and progress tracking. YC alum Shimmer makes 1:1 coaching affordable, and Inflow’s clinician-developed app offers self-guided programs.
Fighting time-blindness, Sunsama and Sukha’s apps apply the Pomodoro Technique to productivity. Elsewhere, Sidekick’s decluttered browser is ADHD-approved, while MindNode’s app helps visual thinkers organize thoughts.
Branching out. ADHD is kryptonite in an ill-suited world but a superpower in the right conditions. Rather than forcing squares into circles, The Flight School urges students to take an intentional gap year to find what lights them up.
Controversial but promising, ketamine therapy can help ADHDers with coexisting anxiety/depression, with companies like Mindbloom and Joyous selling guided home programs.
A drug-free route, Neurode is developing a focus-enhancing headband. On the biotech front, NeuroSigma and UCLA are trialing trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) as a novel treatment.
Punchline: Life isn’t designed to be exciting 24/7. For the neurospicy, the solution may be twofold: build routines to boost boredom tolerance and find intrinsically interesting work.
🎙 On the Podcast
Bathhouse co-founder Jason Goodman discusses modernizing communal bathing.
A community-centered oasis, the Brooklyn-born concept combines ancient rituals, elite bodywork, and modern design to help guests look, feel, and perform their best.
We also cover: Why day passes outperform memberships, and bringing experiential hospitality to sauna culture.
Listen to today’s episode here
📈 Strava pivots to performance
The social fitness network secured new funding at a $2.2B valuation and acquired cycling coaching app The Breakaway.
Endurance engine. With 150M users and nearly $500M in ARR, Strava is a must-have for endurance athletes. Originally built for cyclists and runners, it now supports 50 activity types while expanding premium features and global reach.
AI + accountability. New updates include smarter route planning, improved leaderboards, and anti-cheating tools. Following its acquisition of run coaching app Runna, The Breakaway adds cycling-specific performance insights, reinforcing a shift toward guided training.
Momentum. Strava is accelerating in Latin America and Asia while worldwide community engagement soars, with run club participation jumping 59% YoY and social features fueling stickiness and results.
Stacked. More than a tracking tool, Strava is layering coaching, data, and community into a full-stack fitness platform. From syncing devices to recommending workouts and tracking results, it’s becoming an all-in-one performance hub.
Looking ahead: Blending AI tools with social accountability, Strava is shaping the future of training, where connection drives consistency and data powers results.
🇬🇧 Tap Into the UK Market
Healf is leading the UK’s well-being movement by curating the best global brands in one premium destination.
Cash in. Trusted by health-focused consumers, Healf helps companies like Momentous, LMNT, and Thorne unlock overseas revenue.
Get discovered. Grounded in The Four Pillars™—EAT, MOVE, MIND, SLEEP—its curated retail platform matches health-conscious shoppers with aligned brands.
Join the movement. Backed by visionary investors, Healf is more than an online shop. Its integrated ecosystem is powering the UK’s preventative health movement.
From supply chain logistics to marketing and fulfillment support, Healf makes it easier than ever for US brands to break into the UK.
Ready for your UK debut? Apply for a partnership today.
🏥 PillPack founders launch healthcare marketplace
Backed by $32M in funding, TJ Parker and Elliot Cohen debuted General Medicine, a digital storefront for non-emergency care.
User-first. From labs and imaging to prescriptions and virtual visits, the platform offers same-day access, upfront pricing, and no subscriptions while managing referrals, insurance, and care coordination.
Built different. After selling PillPack to Amazon for $750M, the duo is making healthcare feel more like online shopping than navigating a hospital system.
This comes at a time when institutional confidence fades: Nearly half of young adults say “doing your own research” rivals medical advice, and 75% feel confident managing their health, often turning to influencers over professionals.
Decentralized. With more people fleeing traditional care, startups are merging wearables, lab tests, and scans into personal health operating systems, giving users control over records, diagnostics, and treatment.
Takeaway: As the system fragments, General Medicine is betting that care will become shoppable, transparent, and led by the individual, not the institution.
📰 News & Notes
- Frame, Labcorp expand access to fertility testing.
- Midi Health launches women’s longevity program.
- PED-permitted Enhanced Games sets inaugural event.
- Lumati, PNOĒ partner for data-driven longevity alliance.
- Omada Health adds AI nutrition tools for healthy food habits.
- Stride, UNITY Fitness debut health optimization membership.
- Longevity clinic Cenegetics adds Tally age tests, supplements.
- Sahha launches developer API for wellness consumer insights.
- Aussie coworking operator The Commons preps in-house wellness club.
- Oura refines activity tracking, integrates CorePower, Open, and Sculpt Society.
- ICYMI: Last week, we unveiled a new look and a bigger mission. Check out the refresh and what’s next.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
WellTheory, a holistic care platform for autoimmune disease, closed $5M in funding.
Throne, creators of toilet-affixed diagnostic devices, secured $4M in a seed round.
Longevity care platform Geviti secured $8.5M in a seed round.
AI-enabled performance optimization platform MAXIOM landed $2M in a seed round led by Conscious Ventures.
Organic functional beverage brand Tractor added $15M in funding.
Digital MSK provider Hinge Health raised $437M in its IPO.
Europe 🇪🇺
UK-based longevity biotech firm Juvenescence closed $76M in a Series B1 round.
Hormona, a UK-based women’s hormonal health platform, secured £5M ($6.7M) in a seed round.
NL-based Salvia BioElectronics, developer of neuromodulation therapies for migraines, raised $60M in a Series B round.
Alba Health, a Scandinavian gut health platform for children, raised $2.5M in funding.
Swiss cancer diagnostics firm Hedera Dx added €15M ($17M) in a Series A led by Vsquared Ventures.
Asia 🌏
PHASE Scientific, a HK-based urine-based diagnostic developer, raised $34M in a Series A round.
India’s TOVA, maker of ayurvedic beverages, landed undisclosed funding.
Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿
Australian mental health platform Foremind closed a A$1.5M ($966K) round led by Giant Leap.
Preve, a Sydney-based AI-assisted physiotherapy platform, raised A$2.2M ($1.4M).
Aussie fitness operator Viva Leisure acquired a 33% stake in sports nutrition beverage maker Gorilla X.
Latin America 🌎
Preventix, a Mexican developer of early detection diagnostics for cervical cancer, secured seed funding from Impact Ventures.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
