Woebot Health

Woebot Health builds AI-driven conversational tools for mental health support, grounded in techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. The company was founded in 2017 by clinical research psychologist Dr. Alison Darcy, who set out to make evidence-based mental health support more accessible through a relational chatbot that talks with users the way a supportive companion would, rather than delivering static self-help content. The flagship product, Woebot, is available through iOS and Android apps and the web, but access is no longer open to the general public. As of mid-2025 the company shut down its direct-to-consumer offering and moved to an enterprise model: users now need an access code issued through a partner health system, employer, or payer to use the app. Woebot has partnered with organizations including Akron Children's Hospital, Virtua Health, ChristianaCare, and Hackensack Meridian Health to integrate the chatbot into existing care pathways. The tool is FDA-registered as a Class II medical device and has been evaluated in multiple randomized controlled trials, including a Stanford study that found reduced depression and anxiety symptoms within two weeks. Its main limitation is accessibility: because it now requires a partner organization's access code, individuals can no longer sign up on their own.