Woebot Health, the maker of an AI-powered mental health chatbot, announced via email that it will retire its app on June 30. The company's nonprescription digital mental health tool includes specialized content for teens, addressing topics such as media literacy, bullying, body image, and psychoeducation. According to Behavioral Health Business, users can download their conversation history until June 30, and Woebot has pledged to anonymize all account data after July 31.
Launched on Facebook Messenger in 2017, Woebot quickly gained traction, securing $8 million in Series A funding the following year. In 2021, the company achieved FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its postpartum depression digital therapeutic, WB001, which combined cognitive behavioral therapy and elements of interpersonal psychotherapy with its conversational chatbot to deliver treatment via patients' phones. The eight-week program was designed to normalize and contextualize the postpartum experience through mobile lessons.
That same year, Woebot raised $90 million in Series C funding, followed by an additional $9.5 million a year later. In 2023, the company partnered with digital payroll software provider PayrollPlans and virtual healthcare clinic Curai Health to offer an AI-powered primary care and mental health benefit solution for small and midsize businesses. Later that year, Woebot entered a three-year partnership with Akron Children's, a nonprofit pediatric healthcare system in Ohio, to provide mental health support for adolescents aged 13 to 17. Through this collaboration, clinicians in three underserved rural communities recommended Woebot to patients exhibiting signs of depression and anxiety during their annual well visits, using the platform alongside therapy. The service was made available across Akron's 44 primary care pediatric facilities.
In 2024, Woebot expanded its reach by partnering with New Jersey-based hybrid care provider Virtua Health, allowing Virtua's primary care providers to offer access to Woebot for Adults. This tool supported patients either waiting for an appointment or receiving in-person therapy.