CareLoop Secures £1.8M to Enhance Digital Therapeutics Platform
Manchester, Wednesday, 5 February 2025.
CareLoop, a Manchester-based startup, secured £1.8 million to expand its digital therapeutics for severe mental health conditions, supported by major investors GMC Life Sciences and Verge HealthTech.
Strategic Investment for Mental Health Innovation
The seed funding round, which closed on February 4, 2025, was co-led by GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura and Verge HealthTech Fund, with additional participation from NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance and SFC Capital [1]. CareLoop’s platform stands out in the digital health landscape by specifically targeting severe mental health conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia, and postnatal depression [1]. This focus differentiates it from the numerous existing digital mental health tools that primarily address wellbeing and common conditions like anxiety and mild depression [1].
Proven Track Record and Clinical Validation
Since its founding in 2021 by a team of experts including Shôn Lewis, John Ainsworth, Sandra Bucci, and CEO Zoë Blake [1], CareLoop has achieved significant milestones. Most notably, the platform received recommendation from NICE in March 2024 [1], validating its approach to mental health care. This investment comes during a period of substantial growth in UK health-tech funding, with January 2025 seeing healthcare and life sciences sectors attract over £350 million in investments [5].
Expansion Plans and Future Development
The funding will support CareLoop’s ambitious plans to expand its platform’s capabilities to include treatment options for additional severe mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder [1]. The company has announced plans to establish its first headquarters in Manchester’s £1.7bn Sister innovation district [1], positioning itself at the heart of the UK’s growing health-tech ecosystem. This expansion aligns with broader industry trends, as January 2025 showed strong investor confidence in UK healthcare technology, with total fundraising reaching nearly £650 million across various health-tech initiatives [5].
Market Impact and Industry Position
CareLoop’s success comes at a time when digital therapeutics are gaining significant traction in the healthcare sector. The investment positions the company to scale its technology across the NHS and potentially expand to global health institutions [1]. Investment Director Sim Singh-Landa emphasized the company’s transformative vision for severe mental illness aftercare, highlighting the strategic importance of this funding round [1].