Receiving investment led by East Ventures, mental health startup Riliv maximizes services to help face the pandemic and new normal

Mental health service startup Riliv announced that it has received seed round funding led by East Ventures. Other investors, such as Benson Capital, Sankalpa Ventures, Teja Ventures, Telkom Indonesia through Indigo Acceleration program, and Angel Investor Shweta Shrivastava also participated in this funding round to jointly develop the mental health industry in Indonesia.

This investment will be used to expand Riliv‘s mental health services to a wider range of sectors, such as the general public who need integrated health services as well as industries that are specific to providing access to mental health personnel for employees.

The Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia in 2018 stated there is an enormous number of mental health issues, estimating more than 21 million people suffering from emotional and mental disturbance. There is speculation the number is higher due to the unreported cases. A surging increase almost twice the number during pandemic in 2020 confirms that Covid-19 creates disruption in every aspect of daily life, making it harder to bounce back and become resilient. Furthermore, the stigma around mental illness and limited access to nearby mental health service also contribute to the lower number of reported cases and help-seeking behavior.

Audrey Maximillian Herli (left), 2017 YSEALI alumni, and Audy Christopher Herli (right), 2018 Australia Awards Scholarship recipient, finally took an initiative to establish Riliv in 2015 to provide people with relevant mental health content to turn the stigma of mental health which is taboo into something that is necessary to be prioritized. Mental health indirectly impacts society in various ways – from productivity, nurturing for future generations, to prosocial behavior that leads to better social interaction and reducing crimes. One cannot simply ignore the snowball effect of treating mental health as it will shape how we approach our well being as a whole.

Along with the increasing need for online-based health services (telehealth) as well as mental health content, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Riliv continues to grow to provide online psychologist counseling services through an application. Users can take advantage of self-help such as meditation, journalling, and also sleepcasts to help rest. In addition, Riliv also offers Employee Assistance Program services, namely Riliv for Company which offers counseling services and wellness programs for employees.

“We have witnessed a significant increase in Riliv users by almost up to 400% during the pandemic, both from workers and general users such as students and housewives. Most of them are dealing with feelings of anxiety and insecurity regarding their current condition,” said Audrey Maximillian Herli, Chief Executive Officer of Riliv. “The presence of online counseling and integrated mindfulness content from Riliv can introduce mental health as a natural need for Gen Y, Z and Alpha in Indonesia’s current demographic bonus. We open the door for all parties to work together to tackle mental health together.”

Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of East Ventures said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased public awareness of the importance of mental health. Riliv’s services are becoming increasingly relevant to today’s market needs, and we believe that Riliv can help Indonesians to gain easy access to mental health services. We are happy to be able to support Maxi and Audy to advance the mental health industry in Indonesia.”

Maxi and Audy’s efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of mental health brought them to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020.