A proactive wellbeing platform designed for the workforce and founded in Galway has successfully concluded its pre-seed funding round, securing €500k in investment from Enterprise Ireland and the private investment company Growing Capital.

Lua Health – founded by Fionn Delahunty and Dr. Mihael Arcan in 2023 – emerged as a spin-off from the University of Galway and the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics. The team received prior support from the Enterprise Ireland commercialisation fund.

Lua Health has pioneered proprietary Artificial Intelligence algorithms capable of accurately detecting indications of poor mental health based on how a person speaks or writes.

Following a thorough period of customer discovery, the team has crafted a product tailored for the corporate wellness market. Implemented in a privacy-by-design manner, the product allows employees to gauge their mental well-being in real-time, facilitating access to support if needed.

Simultaneously, it empowers companies to transition from a reactive well-being culture to a proactive one.

The technology has already undergone validation in various enterprise settings, showcasing significant improvements in well-being, increased engagement with benefits, reduced sick leave, and heightened productivity.

Fionn Delahunty said they were thrilled to have the support of Enterprise Ireland and Growing Capital.

“This marks a global turning point in both the well-being space post-COVID and the AI sector,” he said.

“Lua Health’s mission is to assist individuals in better understanding their well-being and putting an end to silent suffering. We’re excited to have two prominent Irish partners supporting us on this journey.”

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke also commended the team at Lua Health on its recent funding success.

“The mental health of workers is becoming a top priority for businesses and a dilemma for leadership in organisations is being able to support the well-being of their staff in a pro-active and pre-emptive way,” he said.

“Lua Health’s platform will play a huge role in offering employers tangible technological solutions in this space going forward. I know that Lua Health has ambitious global plans and is already seeing strong interest in its offering, and I wish the team every success for the future,” he added.

Pictured: Announcing the funding for Lua Health were (from left) Anna-Marie Turley, Enterprise Ireland, Gianni Matera, Founder, Growing Capital, and Dr. Mihael Arcan and Fionn Delahunty, Founders of Lua Health