Amid a rapidly changing landscape for mental health innovation, the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN UK), founded by Aahuti Rai, convened a powerful morning of discussion and insight, in partnership with Harley Street Health District. This event brought together founders, investors, and thought leaders to explore how mental health innovators can navigate today’s funding challenges and build sustainable, impactful ventures.
Hosted at Hale House – The Home of HealthTech – the event underscored the District’s growing role as an enabler and convenor for the UK’s HealthTech and mental health ecosystem.
Reframing mental health investment for impact
The day opened with Steve Duke, founder of The Hemingway Report, who delivered a data-informed overview of the mental health funding landscape. His message was clear: while early-stage funding has dropped by 60% since 2021, opportunities remain for ventures that can prove tangible outcomes.
Duke highlighted the sector’s shift from focusing solely on access to care toward demonstrating measurable improvements in wellbeing. “Make something that makes people better,” he urged, emphasising the importance of outcome-driven solutions.
Exploring the viable paths for mental health fundraising
Next, Branislav Trajkovski, HealthTech Investor at Deuce Capital, illustrated two clear routes founders can take:
- VC-backed growth through angel, pre-seed, and Series A+ investment rounds.
- Bootstrapping, where founders focus on profitability, product-market fit, and founder-market alignment from the start.
This session resonated with the audience of entrepreneurs, many seeking clarity on how to match their founding vision with the realities of funding dynamics.
Decoding the capital stack: insights from active investors
A dynamic panel featuring Gabby Morgan (Conduit Connect), Maya Ward (Gresham House Ventures), Matt Cooper (Exceptional Ventures), Pratik Popat (Simply Health Ventures), and Tayla McCloud (Wellcome Trust) unpacked how investors select the ventures they back.
Their advice was pragmatic and refreshingly candid:
- Funding is a tool, not the goal.
- Diversify investors but manage the complexity of multiple stakeholders.
- Be selective – focus on alignment of values and vision rather than chasing quick capital.
This session reinforced that successful fundraising is as much about fit and philosophy as it is about financials.
Founders’ journeys: building the next generation of mental health ventures
In one of the event’s most meaningful sessions, Laura Earnshaw (MyHappyMind) and Charlotte Housden (Mindler) shared their real-world experiences scaling mental health innovations. Moderated again by Deuce Capital’s Branislav Trajkovski, the discussion spotlighted what it truly takes to build traction in this challenging field.
Their key insights:
- Perseverance beats luck—door-knocking and persistence remain crucial.
- Real-world stories of impact often resonate more than polished metrics—authenticity builds confidence.
Their journeys illustrated both the resilience and the creativity required to succeed in a system still learning how to fund mental health effectively.
Creating a collaborative ecosystem for what comes next
This event was more than a funding discussion; it reflected the ecosystem Harley Street Health District is shaping-one that values open dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and measurable impact.
By partnering with the MHIN UK, Harley Street Health District reaffirms its commitment to helping shape the future of mental health care, not only through clinical excellence, but by economically and strategically empowering those building the tools, platforms, and solutions to make mental healthcare more accessible and effective.
