Miami-based NUE Life Health has raised more than $3 million in a seed funding round to further develop what it calls a “next-generation mental wellness solution” that combines psychedelic-assisted therapies and a graph database-driven app.
“We view ketamine therapy and psychedelic therapy simply as catalysts for change,” Juan Pablo Cappello, NUE Life’s CEO said in a statement. “While helping patients reset is important, we at NUE Life are committed to helping our members find community and connection through our digital platform well after the effects of any psychedelic therapies have faded.”
According to NUE Life, its platform, which is currently operating in California, Texas, and Florida, offers at-home ketamine therapy combined with music therapies and a “data-led” approach. The news comes as California and Texas have recently taken steps toward eased regulations around psychedelics.
Co-founder Demien Bellumio, who hails from the music industry, says the platform creates a detailed “knowledge graph” of each patient, allowing for custom treatment approaches. The AI technology is then able to personalize treatment recommendations including the best music to listen to during the experience.
The company says research out of Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College in London points to psychedelics including psilocybin and MDMA as safe alternatives to conventional treatments. Ketamine therapy is already considered to be the fastest-acting antidepressant available.
“With one of five women in the United States relying on an antidepressant to get through the day, and with our losing 22 veterans a day to suicide, we felt compelled to launch a different kind of mental wellness company,” said Christina Getty, co-founder and investor. Getty is the youngest granddaughter of the late oil magnate John Paul Getty.
Other investors in the seed round include Jack Abraham (Atomic Ventures, Hims), Shervin Pishevar (formerly of Sherpa Ventures, UBER), Martin Varsavsky (Prelude Fertility, Overture), Jon Oringer (Shutterstock, Pareto Holdings), and James Bailey (a capstone supporter of the Multidisciplinary Assoc. for Psychedelic Studies).
Read more about the benefits of listening to music during a psychedelic experience here.
