About nest

We exist because
this work matters.

nest is a registered foundation connecting the people building the future of mental health. We started as a grassroots community for people passionate about digital mental health and have grown into a structured ecosystem for serious builders.

We exist because meaningful innovation should not happen in isolation. Our curated community helps new solutions reach the people who need them, while founders and researchers gain the support, connections and insights needed to navigate this complex landscape.

Participation is free during our founding period, because access to this kind of community should not be a privilege.

"The tools matter. The science matters more. But neither travels far without the right people around them."

Founder
Valerie Peterson VP

Valerie Peterson

Founder & Executive Director

Founder and Executive Director at nest, a global industry foundation advancing accessible, inclusive, and responsible digital mental health solutions. We connect founders, innovators, and experts across the digital mental health ecosystem while sharing industry research and insights daily.

Why nest

nest started with two things that arrived at different times but eventually pointed in the same direction.

The first was personal. Watching someone I love navigate a serious brain disorder showed me, more clearly than any study could, how wide the gap is between what people need and what the system is able to give them. It is a gap that does not have to be as large as it is.

The second was a master's thesis on digital health and AI implementation. The more I read, the more one thing became obvious: the tools are developing fast, but the people building them are largely working alone. Researchers, founders, and clinicians who should be in conversation with each other are not, because nothing has made that easy enough.

nest is the thing I wished had existed. We are glad you found us. 🪺

nestmentalhealthtech.com
Events 2026

Where the field
comes together.

A curated list of upcoming conferences, summits and gatherings at the intersection of mental health and innovation. Want your event featured? Get in touch. Or host an event with us.

20 September 2026 16:00 CET Online nest event

September Network Session

A warm, open conversation for founders, clinicians, researchers and advocates working in digital mental health. No pitching, no performing, just good people glad to be in the room together.

nest
Hosted by nest
Register now Free · Online · Limited places
September 16–19, 2026 Brescia, Italy

EPA Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry Congress

Hosted by the Unit of Epidemiological Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health at the University of Brescia. A research-rigorous European gathering focused on population-level mental health, digital interventions and the social drivers of psychiatric outcomes.

September 22–24, 2026 Nashville, USA

BHT2026 — Behavioral Health Tech Conference

One of the leading annual gatherings for technology leaders and innovators in behavioral health, covering AI, digital therapeutics, workforce support and the future of mental healthcare delivery.

September 23–26, 2026 Stockholm, Sweden

World Congress of Psychiatry

The flagship gathering of the World Psychiatric Association, representing 147 psychiatric societies from 123 countries. The most significant European-hosted global psychiatry event of 2026.

October 20–21, 2026 Berlin, Germany

Frontiers Health 2026

The most well-recognised digital health conference in Europe, with a deliberate focus on digital therapeutics, founders and the investment landscape. A consistently high-signal room for everyone building in this space.

October 22–23, 2026 Hudson Yards, New York, USA

THE REAL Summit — New York 2026

A gathering of around 180 family offices, venture capitalists, policymakers and innovators working at the intersection of finance and mental health, with programming spanning psychedelic medicine, neurodiversity, mental health venture capital and AI.

November 8–11, 2026 New Orleans, USA

National Dialogues on Behavioral Health

67th annual conference, themed "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence: Innovation, Integrity, Impact." One of the most established forums in US behavioural health, now centred on the questions the nest community is most focused on.

November 20–21, 2026 Boston, USA Hybrid

International Mental Health Conference 2026

A global hybrid conference bringing together psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers and policymakers. Key focus areas include AI in psychiatry, digital mental health, youth and workplace mental health, trauma-informed care and global mental health equity.

November 25–26, 2026 Barcelona, Spain

6th Digital Health Conference

A flagship European conference on digital health innovation, featuring sessions on mental health technology, AI in healthcare and the policy landscape shaping digital therapeutics.

News & Insights

What we are
watching closely.

A weekly digest of the developments, research and moves that matter in digital mental health. We track the field so you do not have to start from scratch.

Policy

MHRA and NICE Receive £2m from Wellcome to Regulate Digital Mental Health Technology

MHRA →
Policy

BSI Consults on a New Clinical Evidence Standard for Digital Mental Health Technologies

BSI →
Policy

NHS Backs Rollout of Integrated AVT as Part of £10bn Tech Funding

Digital Health →
Policy

Health Sector Cautiously Welcomes the NHS AI Rollout

Digital Health →
Policy

King's Fund Calls for a National Strategy on Ambient Voice Technology

Digital Health →
Policy

AI Chatbots' Medical Claims Draw Regulatory Scrutiny

Cooley →
Policy

Six States Are Now Regulating AI in Mental Health

Becker's →
Research

AI Chatbot Use and Disclosure for Mental Health Among US Adolescents and Young Adults

JAMA Pediatrics →
Research

Between Help and Harm: Evaluating How Large Language Models Handle Mental Health Crises

JMIR Mental Health →
Global

26 African Countries Commit to Rights-Based Mental Health Care

WHO Africa →
Global

WUN Symposium: Digital Mental Health and Inequalities, University of Cape Town

University of Cape Town →
Industry

Digital Health Funding Hits $7.4bn in H1 2026, with Mental Health the Top-Funded Indication

Fierce Healthcare →
Industry

Pelago Pivots from Substance Use into Broader Behavioural Health with an AI Product

BH Business →
Industry

Virtual ADHD Providers Pivot Toward Coaching and Therapy After Prescription Scrutiny

BH Business →
Industry

Technology Advances Reveal Behavioural Health Care's Cybersecurity Gaps

BH Business →
Industry

WPS Acquires Mavida Health, Expanding Digital Mental Health Care for Women and Families

PR Newswire →
Youth Mental Health

Google.org Expands Digital Wellbeing Fund to Over $50M for Teen Mental Health

Google →
Market Intelligence

Mental Health Tech Investment Soars 150% to $352M as the Market Consolidates

Calcalist →
Industry

Behavioural Health Startups Are Experiencing a Funding Renaissance

Behavioral Health Business →
Digital Therapeutics

Big Health Raises $24M as Investors Bet Digital Therapeutics' Time Has Come

STAT News →
Research

AI Conversational Agent Cuts Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Randomised Trial

Medical Xpress →
Policy

The FDA's Digital Health Advisory Committee Weighs Generative AI in Mental Health Apps

Sage Journals →
Policy

Health AI Policy Tracker: How US States Are Regulating AI Therapy

Manatt →
AI & Clinical

A Balanced Approach to Regulating AI Therapy Chatbots

Wiley (Hastings Center Report) →
Equity & Innovation

African-Led Mental Health Innovations Showcased as Data Prize Concludes in Mombasa

Citizen Digital →
Policy & Evidence

Horizon Europe Funds SAMPO: a 12,600-Person Trial for Prevention-First Digital Mental Health

Vrije Universiteit Brussel →
AI & Safety

Chatbots are becoming mental health tools before they are ready

Fortune →
Industry

Spring Health Acquires Alma to Build a Continuous Care Model

Fierce Healthcare →
Funding

Tava Health Raises $40 Million for Employer Mental Health

MobiHealthNews →
AI & Clinical

Blossom Health Is Building AI Into Clinical Workflows, Not Around Them

Fortune →
Policy

Utah Becomes the First State to Regulate AI in Mental Health Care

U of Utah →
Research

A Study in Science Sets Out the Evidence Base for AI in Psychiatry

Science →
Founders

Jimini Health Keeps a Clinician in the Loop Between Every Session

MedCity News →
Youth Mental Health

Cartwheel Is Now the Largest School-Based Telehealth Provider in the US

PR Newswire →
Industry

Birches Health Is Bringing Gambling Addiction Treatment to Smartphones

BHB →
AI & Workforce

AI in the mental health workforce is met with fear, pushback and enthusiasm

NPR →
Research

AI Therapist? It Falls Short, a New Study Warns

US News →
Research

Smartphone app improves mental habits and functioning in randomised trial

Medical Xpress →
Research

Stanford: How Smartphone Data Reveals Mental Health Insights

Stanford →
Industry

Cerebral Acquires Leading ADHD Behavioural App, Inflow

Business Wire →
AI & Youth

1 in 5 young people now use AI chatbots for mental health advice, RAND survey finds

NBC News →
Research

Randomised trial of a generative AI chatbot for mental health treatment — first results from Therabot

NEJM AI →
Funding

Tony Robbins AI mental health startup The Path raises $14.3 million

MobiHealthNews →
Industry

Why there is no fix-all for behavioural health operations

BH Business →
AI & Big Tech

Google updates Gemini to provide mental health assistance and crisis resources

MobiHealthNews →
Research

AI, neuroscience and data are fuelling personalised mental health care

APA Monitor →
Our Manifesto

We believe the mental health
crisis is also a systems crisis.

One billion people are living with a mental health condition right now. Thirteen mental health workers exist for every hundred thousand people on the planet. Governments have held mental health spending at 2% of health budgets for nearly a decade.

Source: World Health Organization, 2025 (World Mental Health Today; Mental Health Atlas 2024).

The system was never going to close this gap. And placing all our bets on it has cost us years.

What's actually making a change is happening outside the formal system. In workplaces, in communities, in the hands of founders and clinicians who stopped waiting for policy to catch up. Not because they're optimistic. Because they understand the problem well enough to know that waiting is its own kind of failure.

We started nest because we kept meeting these people and watching them work in isolation. Brilliant founders who couldn't find their peers. Researchers whose work never reached the builders who needed it. Clinicians who wanted to shape digital tools but had no seat at the table.

We believe that meaningful innovation should not happen in isolation. That the tools matter, but the science matters more, and neither travels far without the right ecosystem around them.

nest is not a cheerleader for digital health as a concept. We are not here to amplify every headline or celebrate every product launch. We are here to sit with the people who are honest about how hard this actually is — and who are building anyway.

"We exist to make sure the right people find each other, before the work that could change things gets lost in the noise."

Participation is free during our founding period because access to this kind of community should not be a privilege. We are deliberately keeping the community small, curated and high-quality as we grow.

If this is the space you operate in, we would love to have you.

Join nest
About Manifesto Community Members only Events Host an event Directory Members only News Blog Partner My account Join nest
A curated ecosystem for digital mental health

A global community behind
research-led mental health and wellbeing.

people in nest are
130+ members
18+ countries
Free for founding members
nest

Inside nest.

Here is who is already in the room.

130+ members · founders, clinicians, researchers and advocates
Events

Upcoming
events.

View all events →
nest event Free
20 September 2026 · 16:00 CET · Online

September Network Session

A warm, open conversation for founders, clinicians, researchers and advocates working in digital mental health. No pitching, no performing, just good people glad to be in the room together.

nest
Hosted by nest
Register now Free · Limited places
Host with nest

Want to host an event?

Bring the nest community together around a topic you care about. We support founders, clinicians and researchers who want to organise member-only sessions, free public talks, or paid workshops under the nest umbrella.

Apply to host
From the nest blog

What we are
writing about.

View all articles →
What being in nest gives you

What you actually get
from being here.

01
The right introduction, at the right time

The people you need to meet, when you need to meet them.

02
Peers who understand what you're navigating

Founders, clinicians and researchers who get how hard this actually is.

03
Research you can trust, in context

The latest in digital mental health, curated and relevant to what you are building.

04
A directory that helps the right people find you

Not a listing you forget about. A way to be discovered by the people who matter.

Founders Spotlight

People doing
serious work.

Updated regularly

Ana Gigashvili

Founder, Unloop

"Building tools that help people break cycles. The system was never designed for the people who need it most."

Unloop is reimagining support for people navigating recovery and mental health challenges outside the formal care system. Ana is building at the intersection of community, technology and lived experience.

Shirali Nigam

Co-Founder, Circuit Breaker Labs

"We build crash test dummies for AI mental health systems. The cost of getting this wrong is not abstract. It is a real person in a real crisis."

Circuit Breaker Labs develops rigorous safety testing frameworks for conversational AI in mental health, identifying hidden risks and failure points before they reach real people.

Sharmeela P

Founder, Thera

"Mental health support should feel like it was built for you, not built for a system that forgot about you."

Thera is reimagining how people access and experience mental health support, building tools that centre the individual rather than the institution.

Trusted by & partnering with

In The Zone TouchBase ELEVATE GoldenMinds Peerakeet Mentra Unloop ThinkAITA Circuit Breaker Labs Thera Inner Echo Second Aid THE REAL Mental Health Foundation OPTIMIZE KLYNE Synphoria + more joining soon
Latest News & Insights

What we are
watching closely.

View all →
Policy

NHS Backs Rollout of Integrated AVT as Part of £10bn Tech Funding

Digital Health →
Industry

Digital Health Funding Hits $7.4bn in H1 2026, with Mental Health the Top-Funded Indication

Fierce Healthcare →
Research

AI Chatbot Use and Disclosure for Mental Health Among US Adolescents and Young Adults

JAMA Pediatrics →
Global

26 African Countries Commit to Rights-Based Mental Health Care

WHO Africa →
Policy

Six States Are Now Regulating AI in Mental Health

Becker's →
Research

Between Help and Harm: Evaluating How Large Language Models Handle Mental Health Crises

JMIR Mental Health →
View all news
About nest

Meaningful innovation
shouldn't happen in isolation.

nest is a registered foundation connecting the people building the future of mental health. We exist for founders, clinicians, researchers and advocates who are serious about closing the gap between what the mental health system offers and what people actually need.

Our curated community helps new solutions reach the people who need them, while builders gain the support, connections and insights to navigate this complex landscape with confidence. Participation is free during our founding period.

"The tools matter. The science matters more. But neither travels far without the right people around them."

Join for free
Who nest is for

If you're building
in this space,
you belong here.

01

Founders

Building digital mental health products, platforms or services at any stage.

02

Researchers

Generating the evidence base that makes innovation trustworthy and effective.

03

Clinicians

Therapists and practitioners who want to shape how digital tools are built.

04

Advocates

People committed to making mental health support more accessible and equitable.

Membership

What membership
looks like.

01
Access the member directory

Browse and connect with 130+ founders, clinicians, researchers and advocates working across the digital mental health ecosystem.

02
Attend monthly network sessions

Join structured online sessions built for honest conversation. No pitching, no performing. Just the right people in the right room.

03
Stay informed with nest notes

Our weekly digest lands every week with the research, news and conversations shaping the field, curated for people building in this space.

Apply to be featured

Tell us about your work. We update the spotlight regularly and will be in touch if it is a good fit.

Get in touch

Send a message and we will get back to you directly.

🪺

Join the people already
doing this work.

Monthly network sessions — members only · The nest notes digest — weekly · Member directory — connect directly

Free for founding members · We review every application personally