UK mental health startup plans to rival Headspace and Calm

A new UK mental health and wellbeing startup is planning to rival giants Headspace and Calm through its innovative approach to wellness.

Shoorah is set to provide more on-the-go wellness tools than any other wellbeing app.

The simple, low-cost app will help people to take steps to look after their mental health wherever they are, through the many features within the app.

The tech startup has been co-founded by Essex-based couple Lorri Haines and Ferne McCann - who have both undertaken their own self-work journeys - and is due to launch this spring, with a fundraising round on private investing platform Seedrs planned for the summer.

Shoorah offers 24/7 access to a series of features which allow users to do online journalling, gratitude practices, programme affirmations to suit them, create new rituals and habits, practice mindfulness, meditate, do breath work exercises and get advice from accredited wellbeing experts in a series of mini-pods.

The business has focused on creating bite-size mental health tools to benefit even the busiest of people.

The team behind Shoorah includes neuroscience expert, Dr Marc Bouji and wellbeing experts Michael Adu, Lydia Kimmerling, Grace McGeehan, David McLean, Daniel Moore, Claudia Mirallegro, and Jamie Clements.

The app is due to launch to the public in May.

Shoorah CEO Lorri Haines said: “We’ve used other wellbeing apps in the past and wanted to build on what they offer by providing even more wellness tools in one place. We look forward to delivering a new era for wellbeing by offering a low-cost, extremely accessible, app that will make it easier than ever for people to manage their mental wellness.

“All of the functions and features on the app have been proven over many years to improve mental health and, as someone who has used them all to turn around my own wellbeing, we know they absolutely work.

“We want to show people that wellness tools don’t have to be intimidating, or expensive, or time-consuming. With Shoorah, you can meet all of your wellness needs in a low-cost, convenient way that fits into your life, whatever you’ve got going on, and wherever you are.”

Both Lorri Haines and Ferne McCann have run previous businesses, covering marketing, nutrition and property.