The Silicon Valley-based startup, which leverages AI technology
and gamification to support mental health in children, recently
raised $4.5 million in funding
PALO
ALTO, Calif., June 20,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Our children are facing a
mental health tsunami
- Depression episodes have increased by 194%
- 1 in 5 are diagnosed with mental disorders, with 50%
experiencing ADHD symptoms
- 40% of students are chronically disengaged, leading to a 26-day
increase in absence
MEandMine, a Silicon Valley-based startup, revolutionizes
classroom well-being by using AI-flagging to identify psychological
risks in young children. The company recently raised $4.5 million in funding, led by K5 Global.
As a first-generation immigrant at MIT, Elinor Huang,
the founder of MEandMine, faced a tragic loss when her classmate
took her life in their first year. This was her first encounter
with the severe impact of mental health issues.
"It takes 11 years to diagnose mental disorders. What if we
could know what the psychologist knows, not after 11 years, but in
real-time?" asked Huang, highlighting the urgency and emotional
weight of early intervention.
Huang has dedicated her career to healthcare, specializing in
MedTech and neuroscience, where she has witnessed the rising
prevalence of mental health disorders in children.
MEandMine was founded to address these pressing needs, drawing
from her own experiences and those of her co-founders, who have
children with ADHD and high-functioning autism. They all understand
the immense responsibilities that parents and teachers have to
carry, and no one should carry it alone.
CLASSROOM WELL-BEING IN 10 MINUTES
Based on students' daily regulation spectrums, emotions, energy,
and social interactions, the MEandMine algorithm launches
individualized games that help students center themselves and
prepare to learn.
Introducing an emotional version of Pokémon, this solution helps
students develop self-regulation skills. By "hatching and training"
24 emotion buddies, students team up with classmates to practice
calming strategies and learn to process big emotions as they
progress through daily quests.
BUILT ON AI FLAGGING
Unlike social-emotional assessments that are typically done
twice a school year, MEandMine offers AI-powered screening to
identify students' psychological risks in real time. As students
play, 160+ in-game data points are used for AI-flagging, enabling
teachers and school counselors to screen early, give support
quickly, and make data-informed decisions for tier 2 and 3
interventions.
INITIAL SCHOOL RESULTS YIELD 91% ACCURACY
Initial results from their California school pilots show a 91% accuracy
in MEandMine's ability to detect students' psychological risks. The
company is expanding to several districts in New York. They're now developing a new app for
children with special needs, empowering IEP teachers and behavior
specialists with AI-driven tools for effective behavior
intervention.
"The future of our children relies on mental health," said
Huang. "Our hope is this tool offers the support that educators
need to offer meaningful interventions earlier."
About MEandMine
Founded by psychologists, educators, game experts, data
scientists, and parents, MEandMine is future-proofing the world
with technology that fosters children's well-being through games
that motivate.
www.meandmine.com l Press Kit
About K5 Global
Founded by Michael Kives and Bryan
Baum, K5 Global is a venture capital firm that supports
founders across the business lifecycle. The firm was founded in
2018 and has deployed over $1B in
capital to invest in category-defining companies across stages.
www.k5global.com
Media Contact
Elinor Huang, MEandMine, 1
408-502-6406, info@meandmine.com , https://meandmine.com/
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SOURCE MEandMine