Shimmer, a 1:1 personalized ADHD coaching platform, raises $2.2 million

Y Combinator alum Shimmer, which provides a coaching platform for adults, has raised $2.2 million in a seed round led by Worklife Ventures and Seed to B. The platform is designed to help adults cope with challenges through personalized 1:1 video coaching, productivity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Tools and scientifically supported learning modules. Shimmer pairs users with ADHD coaches to help them achieve their goals, maintain positive change patterns, and increase productivity.

The startup was founded in 2021 by CEO Christal Wang, a neurodiverse entrepreneur who dropped out of the MBA/MPH program at Berkeley Haas School of Business to start Shimmer; Chief Technical Officer Vikram Sreedhar is a Stanford University graduate who previously founded a non-profit organization called Make A Difference. crazy)

Wang told TechCrunch that when she was diagnosed with ADHD, she finally had an explanation for her behavior after decades of being told she was “too much.” After the diagnosis, her physical therapist prescribed Adderall.

“As someone who grew up in an Asian culture where drugs were often not the first line of defense and were sometimes frowned upon, it was natural for me to start looking for behavioral solutions,” Wang said. “When I discovered ADHD coaching as a concept, it seemed too good to be true. It was proven effective, top experts in the field recommended it as part of a blend of treatments, and I felt strongly about its premise. Resonance. However, it does seem too good to be true. It’s very expensive.”

Wang said the ADHD coaching options she encountered cost about $300 an hour, were difficult to navigate, and her psychiatrist couldn’t recommend a specific coach for her.

Wang and Sreedhar then set out to create an ADHD coaching platform to address these issues. The two hope to offer ADHD coaching classes at a lower price than what Wang encountered when he first looked for classes for himself.

The most popular Shimmer package offers users weekly 30-minute coaching sessions for $230 per month. The platform also offers weekly 15-minute or 45-minute coaching sessions for $140 or $345 per month, respectively.

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When users first sign up for Shimmer, they are asked to answer a series of questions about their ADHD background, specific challenges, and coaching preferences. They are then paired with one of Shimmer’s more than 30 ADHD coaches. Users can then access a combination of video, textual and visual resources and exercises. After completing initial exercises, users meet with their instructor. Users then meet with their coach every week to get closer to their goals.

Over the course of a week, users must complete a series of actions, from a new meditation experiment to a redesigned morning routine.

Most of Shimmer’s users are between the ages of 20 and 50. Some of the most common struggles people experience on the platform are time management, emotional recovery and regulation, self-acceptance and confidence, habit and routine formation, procrastination, motivation and general productivity.

More than a year since its launch in October 2022, Coach Shimmer has conducted over 15,000 coaching sessions. The platform is available on iOS, Android and the web.

As for the new funding, Shimmer plans to use it to work with provider, payer and employer partners to reduce out-of-pocket costs for members to access ADHD coaching. Additionally, the startup will use artificial intelligence to make coaching more effective without sacrificing authenticity.

The startup’s seed funding includes participation from Aglaé Ventures, Koa Labs and Gaingels. The latest round brings Shimmer’s total funding to $3.5 million.

As for the future, Shimmer hopes to facilitate people of all neurotypes on their personal development journeys. Although Shimmer initially provided ADHD services, the startup has begun helping users with autism. The company’s goal is to bring coaching and other personal development experiences and tools to a variety of intersectional communities as quickly as possible.

“From a technology perspective, we will continue to invest in using technology to expand and improve the personal development and coaching parts that real people are better at, while automating tedious, repetitive tasks,” Wang said. “We see a near future where all neurodiverse people will be using Shimmer, seamlessly integrating it into their lives to achieve their goals.”

Shimmer plans to continue educating the broader community on how to create more inclusive spaces and support their neurodiverse colleagues and loved ones. The startup’s future roadmap includes corporate training, community support and more.