DigitalHealth.London Spotlight: Iona Mind

This week, we are shining the DigitalHealth.London spotlight on Iona Mind to mark Time to Talk Day. The annual campaign, which is lead by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, provides the opportunity for friends, families, communities and colleagues to join the national conversation on mental health, with open discussions, resource sharing and events.

Iona Mind, which is part of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme, has developed a platform that helps deliver customised mental health support to NHS patients.

What is the problem you are trying to solve and why is it important?

Mental health issues like anxiety and depression are widespread, with millions unable to access timely, effective care. In the NHS, Talking Therapies services face challenges in meeting growing demand due to resource constraints. Chronic diseases exacerbate this burden, as 82% of patients with depression also have additional health conditions, leading to higher healthcare costs and worse outcomes.

Iona Mind addresses these challenges by digitising evidence-based psychological therapies, making them scalable, accessible and tailored to diverse needs. By reducing reliance on intensive clinician time, Iona Mind enhances efficiency while improving mental health outcomes for patients and healthcare systems globally.

What is the solution you have developed and how can it help with the problem?

Iona Mind provides a mobile app offering evidence-based, low-intensity Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions. Designed to complement NHS Talking Therapies, it replicates self-help materials through an engaging digital platform and integrates AI to provide personalised support. This allows services to move to a minimal-contact model, reducing clinician session times from 40 minutes to 10 minutes while maintaining therapeutic outcomes.

The app has also been adapted for specific populations, including chronic disease patients, veterans and underrepresented groups. By improving accessibility, efficiency and inclusivity, Iona Mind helps healthcare systems reach more patients and tackle the growing demand for mental health support.

What is the history of your company?

Founded in 2021, Iona Mind was created to address gaps in mental health support after the founders experienced a personal tragedy. Leveraging the expertise of co-founder Professor Paul Farrand, a global leader in low-intensity CBT, the team developed an AI-powered app grounded in NICE-recommended interventions.

Starting with NHS Talking Therapies, the company expanded to partnerships with veterans’ organisations, pharmaceutical companies and global health systems. Through accelerator programmes like Y Combinator and DigitalHealth.London, Iona Mind has secured funding, clinical validation and strategic partnerships, driving its mission to deliver accessible, evidence-based mental health support worldwide.

What successes have you had so far from successful pilots/trials/contracts?

Iona Mind has demonstrated significant impact through its partnerships. In our most recent scientific publication, we showed an 88% reduction in depression severity and a 72% reduction in anxiety for participants using our digital therapeutic. Within NHS Talking Therapies, we successfully trained services in minimal contact support to reduce session times from 40 minutes to 10 minutes, doubling clinician capacity without compromising outcomes.

We have also worked with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to support female veterans with anxiety; and the Carbone Cancer Center to support head and neck cancer patients with depression. Additionally, our recent partnership with Aptar Digital Health integrates mental health support into chronic disease care pathways in a number of health systems.

What are your future goals? What does success look like?

Our future goals focus on scaling Iona Mind’s impact across healthcare systems globally. We aim to expand our solution across NHS Talking Therapies to make minimal-contact support the standard of care, allowing clinicians to treat more patients efficiently. Securing NICE recommendation is a key milestone to integrate Iona Mind into NHS budgets, ensuring broader accessibility.

Internationally, we plan to reach more chronic disease patients, integrating mental and physical health care. We are also conducting large-scale trials to strengthen our evidence base and further developing AI-driven personalisation to enhance user outcomes. Success means improving millions of lives while reducing healthcare costs.

How has your time on the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator helped you in achieving these?

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator has been pivotal in our journey to scale Iona Mind. Through the programme, we’ve gained invaluable insights into NHS structures and procurement processes, enabling us to navigate the complexities of scaling across Talking Therapies. The connections to key stakeholders have opened doors to pilot projects, such as our collaboration with the Trent NHS Talking Therapies service, which validated our minimal-contact support model.

Access to expert guidance has strengthened our reimbursement strategy, positioning us for NICE evaluation and broader adoption. Additionally, the alumni network has provided mentorship, while introductions to academic partners have facilitated health economic research. This support is accelerating our mission to make mental health support more accessible and effective across the NHS and beyond.

Do you have any advice for aspiring digital health companies?

The most important thing is to build something people truly want and need – ideally, something that solves a pressing problem. Start by identifying a clear issue and ensuring there’s a funding source to support your solution.

In healthcare, your solution must meet the needs of three key stakeholders: the patient, the provider and the payer. It needs to improve patient outcomes, integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows for providers, and demonstrate a clear return on investment for payers. Achieving this balance, while navigating compliance and regulation, is critical to creating a successful and impactful digital health solution.

Any asks for the audience?

We’re seeking partners in healthcare, research, and policymaking to help scale our solution across the NHS and beyond. If you’re interested in trialling Iona Mind for your population or collaborating on clinical and economic evaluations, please reach out via partners@ionamind.com or visit our website at www.ionamind.com.

Find out more about Great Mental Health Day and ways to join the national conversation on mental health.

Iona Mind is currently in Cohort 8 of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme and is an alumnus of the DigitalHealth.London Leap programme.

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme is funded by the UK Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It is delivered by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London in partnership with the Office of Life Sciences, CW+, Medicity, NHS England, the Mayor of London and the Levelling Up Fund.

For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-
shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.