A startup that enables its users to improve their Mental Health:

In recent times, mental wellness is the most important factor in our lives. With whatever happening around us especially in 2020 is definitely challenging to cope up. This startup initiative will definitely mark a relief and provide a aid to mental wellness that too via online assistance. What better could we think than this during this pandemic situation!

It all started in the year 2017 when Vivek Sagar and his daughter Shiya Sagar established HopeQure- a mental wellness startup which will enable its users to get therapy and counseling through a secure virtual platform.

“When I observed the huge treatment gap in the Indian mental health space, I began thinking about how it can be narrowed. And, leveraging technology to build resources seemed like a remedy,” Vivek Sagar, Founder and CEO, HopeQure, tells in one of his interviews.

How it all started:

Before HopeQure, Vivek set up companies like Ingenico, Emvantage, and OfferZone.ai. He even worked with Amazon and Mastercard, and was mainly involved in developing solutions in the fintech as well as healthtech sectors using Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, voice and video BOT or 3DCGI models.

On the other hand his daughter Shiya is pursuing a Masters degree in Applied Clinical Psychology. The duo with a team of 20 members built HopeQure for both web and mobile platform.

HopeQure not only provide the means to obtain online counseling and therapy, but also offer programmes that are tailor-made for specific target audiences. 

Well to let you all know the startup has already onboarded more than 650 qualified therapists, psychologists, and counselors to conduct virtual therapy. 

“After exhaustive due diligence, we shortlisted a slew of credible mental health professionals. Any individual who is suffering from anxiety, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress or the like can select a therapist of their choice and book an appointment online. Details about their qualification, work experience, languages known and fees charged are put up on the platform,” explains Vivek. 

Further to let you all know about this startup is that it even provides personalized mental health tool kits for schools, colleges, and corporates.

These health tool kits focuses on helping students to develop a positive body image, getting over exam anxieties and handling bullies and so on whereas,  other tool kits are mainly for ensuring the mental health of employees.  HopeQure also provides generic online programmes that provide tips to overcome stress, OCD, depression, addiction, and loneliness. 

There are in total 50 odd programmes that the father-daughter and the team have developed. These programmes involve a combination of self-help techniques, video counselling sessions, psychometric assessments, worksheets, and other online activities.

This is not where it ends, HopeQure claims to be the country’s only HIPAA-certified startup. This certification definitely ensures its users that team have undertaken all the steps necessary to satisfy the policies and procedures as mentioned in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. 

After successful application on web and mobile platform the team is now working on the ios version of the app.

“One of the main challenges that we had to deal with was the stigma and lack of sensitivity around mental health in India. But, as more and more conversations are taking place, especially in the media, there seems to be an improvement,” Vivek stated on his interview sessions.  

 Nivedita Sharma, a RCI-registered clinical psychologist who conducts counseling sessions at HopeQure expresses her happiness and satisfaction of being a part of this startup. She says- "I am very happy to be part of HopeQure’s effort to reach out to students, families, and MSMEs, and work towards the upkeep of their mental wellness through webinars, individual counselling and corporate employee mental wellness programmes".