Too few therapy slots, long waiting lists, and too many people without access to mental care: the Regensburg-based digital health startup brainjo aims to change this, by using Virtual Reality (VR) as a prescribable therapy extension with high adherence.
The startup has successfully closed a €2 million seed funding round.
The round is led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with additional participation from strategic partners and business angels, including Andreas Weinhut (Regensburg) and better ventures (Munich).
VR bridges the gap where traditional therapy falls short
brainjo develops digital health applications (DiGA) that can be prescribed by therapists or physicians and reimbursed by health insurance. The goal is not to replace traditional psychotherapy, but to close critical gaps in the system. Patients gain access to an immersive, individualized, and scalable form of therapy – complementing existing treatment options and available directly from home.
Dr. Felix Lambrecht, MEDICE – The Health Family, said: “We have been in exchange with the agile and dynamic team at brainjo for quite some time. In particular, the strategic fit of VR therapy is an ideal addition to our therapeutic portfolio.”
Funding for the next major milestone
The seed funding marks the beginning of the next phase: brainjo will use the capital to finance its clinical study and regulatory approval of its first VR-based DiGA – a digital therapy application specifically designed for children with ADHD, developed together with MEDICE – The Health Family. Market approval is planned for 2028.
Dr. Jörg Traub, Principal at HTGF, commented: “We were convinced from the very beginning by the team, the technology, and the market. Digital therapies in psychotherapy are still in their early stages, but the potential is enormous. What differentiates brainjo from purely software-based solutions is the depth of immersion enabled by Virtual Reality, a clinically relevant approach that we will substantiate with study data and use to improve adherence.”
Markus Wensauer, Co-Founder and CEO of brainjo, stated: “With a strong network of business angels, MEDICE – The Health Family as a strategic partner, and HTGF as a leading European seed investor, we are ideally positioned to bring our solutions into healthcare and establish multimodal therapy offerings for patients.”
