With $7M in funding, Clayful is the first company to provide on-demand mental health support to students in 60 seconds

Today we are formally introducing Clayful to the world. After two years of development, quietly partnering with over 50 schools nationwide, and connecting thousands of students needing mental health support to human coaches, we could not be more proud to celebrate our work with you. Clayful is here to address the escalating mental health crisis.

Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Schools

The statistics speak volumes. 

In 2019, 1 in 5 students reported being bullied in school and the data has only grown more grim post-Pandemic. Today, more than 40% of students report feeling sad or depressed, and 50% of parents say that the pandemic has negatively affected their children’s mental health. 

Our team’s deep expertise in education helped us recognize the power of schools as an access point for kids’ preventative mental health services. In fact, research shows youth are six times more likely to complete mental health treatment in schools than in community settings (Jaycox et al., 2010), and mental health services are most effective when integrated into students’ academic instruction (Sanchez et al., 2018). 

Thus, Clayful was born: an evidence-based mental health coaching platform that meets students when and where they need it. Finally, every single student can be supported, despite the counselor shortage. there's only one counselor for every 408 students nationally - and in some states, like Illinois and Michigan, the ratio is as high as 694 and 615, respectively. 

The Clayful Solution

Clayful fills this gap, alleviating the counselor workload and ensuring that every student receives timely and effective intervention. By meeting students where they are (in and outside of school, online, and on their schedule), Clayful’s proactive approach to mental health has already made a significant impact. Students say that because of their coaching chat they feel…

“Like a weight was lifted off my chest”

“Ambitious to do what's right”

“Relaxed and at peace”

“Ready to face my hardships in school”

“Motivated and determined to keep going”

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Partnering with over 50 schools and reaching thousands of students nationwide, our free-for-students platform offers: 

• On-Demand Coaching: Connects students to certified human coaches in as little as 60 seconds.
• Real-Time Resilience Building: Helps kids and teens develop resilience in the moment vs. waiting to address challenges when they reach a breaking point and hurt themselves or others.
• Multilingual Support: Offers coaching services in 133 languages to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for diverse communities.
• Human Interactions: Gives personalized, confidential support to every student by connecting them to certified coaches who are current and former educators, and mental health professionals. 
• Confidentiality: Clayful’s anonymity protocol allows students who are uncomfortable seeking help in front of peers to seek help via chat. In the event of a crisis, Clayful coaches and coach supervisors work together to follow clear and codified escalation procedures.

Reaching thousands more with support from our backers

Clayful wouldn't have been possible without the support of our investors, who are committed to transforming mental health support for students. We're thrilled to announce $7 million in funding led by Reach Capital, including OVO Fund, Common Sense Growth Fund, Charter School Growth Fund’s Innovation Fund, Wisdom Ventures, the Katz Amsterdam Foundation, Edovate Capital, Cambiar Education, Learner Studio, with contributions from the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, as well as incredible angel investors & operators from leading education and healthcare companies

Thanks to their belief in our personalized approach to mental health for today’s generation, we’re on track to build out our team and reach thousands more. 

We thank the administrators, educators, mental health professionals, clinical advisors, and coaches who have made this possible. Your support propels our commitment to creating a safer, more compassionate educational environment.

If you’re curious about Clayful for your school, you can learn more about our on-demand mental wellness support here.

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We shared our story with TechCrunch and Etch. Read more.