Calm Unveils Clinical Mental Health Programs

Moving the business beyond mindfulness, Calm is pushing further into healthcare.

What’s happening: Launching a new app early next year, Calm Health aims to address the full spectrum of mental health needs with condition-specific programs, medication tracking, and more.

Available to health insurers, care providers, and employers, the service hopes to “bridge the gap” between mental and physical health care.

For context: Founded in 2012, Calm helped move meditation into the mainstream. Aspiring to be “Nike of the Mind,” the company was valued at more than $2B in a 2020 funding round.

But, as the consumer mindfulness market became increasingly competitive, the app maker began looking for new growth opportunities.

• Earlier this year, Calm acquired Ripple Health Group, a healthcare tech startup building digital tools for caregivers.
• In July, Ripple CEO David Ko became Calm’s chief executive, replacing co-founders Michael Acton Smith and Alex Tew.

But, in August, the company laid off 20% of its staff as usage fell from pandemic highs.

Sound familiar? Pursuing a similar path, Headspace merged with telehealth company Ginger in a $3B deal last year. More recently, it acquired mental wellness app Shine.

Punchline: Aligning with the shift toward integrated well-being, Calm said mental and physical health are deeply intertwined. As consumers continue to buy in, this trend will reshape industries, from fitness to healthcare.