Fello is a new peer support platform for the loneliness epidemic which connects anyone seeking connection and guidance to people who can help them because they have gone through the same exact struggle.
Tens of millions of Americans are struggling with uncertainty, anxiety, addiction and trying to manage these problems completely on their own. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that one third of adults say they feel lonely, a health problem that the US surgeon general cites as having the same impact as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
Further to that, tens of millions are struggling with mental health challenges without any help. While therapy has become more mainstream in the last several decades, traditional therapy is a luxury that many cannot afford and which can’t scale to serve all those who need support.
Fello is reimagining how people get support with a virtual marketplace where everyday people can turn their lived experiences into a superpower to help people who are struggling. The app covers four areas including relationships, parenting, drug use and alcohol use, and has plans to expand to additional topics in the coming months.
Fellos are trained to pair the wisdom of lived experiences with the knowledge of active listening, by undergoing vetting and training processes developed with a team of leading clinicians led by clinical psychologist Dr. Thekla Ross and Fello’s chief medical officer, Dr. Adam Glasofer.
Led by former Uber Eats executive Alyssa Pollack, Fello announced it has raised $10.4 million to date, including a seed investment from Glen Tullman’s 62Ventures, The Capital Factory Fellowship Fund, Katalyst Capital and Offline Ventures, amongst others.
CEO and co-founder Alyssa Pollack said: “Telling the growing number of people struggling with loneliness that traditional therapy is their only option is like sending everyone with a stubbed toe to the emergency room.
“Fello is here to bridge the widening gap for those seeking help from others who have successfully navigated similar challenges—whether it’s the stress of parenting or the struggle of addiction. Utilising the technology and rapid growth operations that built the gig economy, we are creating a platform that makes it easy to connect and get support from someone who’s been in your shoes.”
According to Mental Health America, both quantitative and qualitative evidence indicate that peer support lowers the overall cost of mental health services specifically by reducing re-hospitalisation rates and days spent in inpatient services, increasing the use of outpatient services.
After struggling with addiction and finding that outlets like rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous were incomplete solutions for long-term recovery success, Fello co-founder Jeff Werring approached longtime friend Pete Kadens (who is 17 years sober) to partner on a solution.
Kadens said: “When Fello co-founder Jeff Werring came to me with this idea, I knew we had to do something to change the way people help and heal – and make it both affordable and accessible. This is not just another mental health app.
“We have built a platform for getting experience-based peer support where people can turn their most valuable and largely underutilised asset – their lived experience – into a superpower. Like Uber did for drivers with cars, Airbnb did for dwellings, and Taskrabbit did for handyman skill.”
