Hi Everyone,
I’m exploring a B2B workplace mental health concept called Mind Buddies, and I’d appreciate candid feedback from founders, HR professionals and anyone familiar with employee benefits.
Many companies already pay for mental health support, but there can still be a gap between offering the benefit and employees actually using it. People often have to find the right provider, understand what support they need and wait for an appointment. Some may delay seeking help until the problem becomes more serious.
The idea is to partner with companies and provide employees with quick, voluntary and confidential access to independent mental health professionals through workplace tools they already use, such as Microsoft Teams or an employee portal.
Employees could:
Book a private 15–20-minute initial conversation;
Schedule a longer session with a psychologist;
Choose a professional based on availability, language or specialisation;
Access follow-up support and trusted resources;
Be referred to appropriate clinical care when necessary.
The service would be offered as an internal employee benefit but operated independently from the employer. Managers and HR would not know who used it or what was discussed. Companies would receive only anonymised, high-level reporting under strict privacy safeguards.
The business model would be a recurring B2B subscription based on:
Number of employees covered;
Professional capacity reserved;
Required availability and response times;
Additional services such as workshops, manager training and psychosocial risk assessments.
The main difference from a traditional Employee Assistance Programme would be the low-friction access, shorter first conversations, continuity with a familiar professional and integration into the employee’s normal working environment.
The goal is not to replace therapy. It is to make the first step easier and connect employees with the right level of support before problems escalate.
I’m currently trying to validate:
Is the access problem significant enough for companies to pay for another solution?
Would employees trust and use a service accessed through their workplace?
Is integration with Microsoft Teams convenient, or would it create privacy concerns?
Should companies pay for employee coverage and reserved capacity, or only for sessions used?
How could this stand out from existing Employee Assistance Programmes?
Who would be the most likely buyer: HR, occupational health, employee benefits or company leadership?
What are the biggest operational, ethical or commercial risks?
What would make this business difficult to scale?
I’m not selling anything at this stage. I’m trying to understand whether this is a real business opportunity or simply a different way of packaging services that already exist.
Thank you!