Anya, a leading HealthTech startup celebrated for its innovative infant feeding and parenting support app, is thrilled to announce its selection for the prestigious Google’s Growth Academy: AI for Health. This achievement not only underscores Anya’s dedication to improving the lives of expectant and new parents, but also marks a shift in focus towards being a health AI technology leader, positioned to support all under-served health journeys using innovation and empathy.
The Anya app is an innovative solution that uses 3D interactive technology and Artificial Intelligence to support parents throughout the journey to parenthood, across 1001 days from conception through to toddlerhood. The Anya AI chatbot leverages cutting-edge AI technology and asynchronous 1-2-1 human expert support to provide personalised expertise and companionship 24/7.
Anya was founded by Dr Chen Mao Davies after she experienced significant physical and emotional health challenges with her firstborn. Chen developed Anya alongside world-class healthcare specialists, AI experts and visual effects creators, and subsequently left her Oscar and BAFTA award-winning Visual Effects R&D career to focus on healthcare technology and innovation.
Anya has supported parents in 100+ countries. It has been widely adopted in health systems; available to 4.5 million within the UK population, as a testament of its scalability and clinical excellence. 62% of user requests were seen out-of-office hours; providing vital and complimentary support through collaboration, with established NHS and public health services. Anya is also partnered with employers and is working with insurers and benefit companies as an employee benefit.
Google’s Growth Academy: AI for Health, part of the startup.google.com ecosystem, is a prestigious programme designed to empower healthcare and well-being startups with crucial growth skills, internationalisation strategies, and access to cutting-edge Google tools and products.
Anya’s participation in this initiative will turbocharge the company with critical resources, knowledge, and network necessary to apply its mission and innovation into new healthcare areas including women’s and men’s health. To support people through physical and emotional challenges of difficult life transitions such as conception, parenting, and menopause, both 24/7 healthcare expertise and empathetic companionship are needed. Anya is passionate in harnessing the power of AI and making it more available to support everyone; by translating the excellence of Anya’s AI-powered 24/7 parenting support model and turning it into support for those going through other crucial life stages.
Dr. Chen Mao Davies, Founder and CEO of Anya, expressed her excitement about this opportunity, stating:
“We are utterly delighted to have been chosen for Google’s Growth Academy: AI for Health programme. Our unwavering mission has always been to provide users with empathetic and innovative 24/7 support. This incredible opportunity with Google will undoubtedly enable us to reach more parents worldwide, ensuring that they have access to the necessary support and resources during their transformative journey to parenthood. Moreover, as we prepare for our expansion into broader healthcare areas starting with women’s health, we look forward to extending our 24/7 expert support and empathetic companionship to an even broader audience of individuals seeking guidance and reassurance.”
Yuval Passov, Head of Google for Start-ups Israel and organiser of Google’s Growth Academy for Start Ups expressed his insights on the selection of Anya for the Google AI for Health programme. He stated:
“We’re excited to work with Anya, offering them the best of Google’s people, products and processes and equipping them with the tools needed to scale this innovative app. AI is the most profound technology that we’re working on today, and it’s incredible to help drive the growth of a new startup that is using this powerful technology to make a positive impact on the lives of new parents.”
As Anya embarks on this exciting journey in partnership with Google, the future of its 24/7 digital health support is poised to become even more innovative, empathetic, and transformative. Anya invites you to explore its pioneering work and mission.
Anya is an innovative AI tech startup founded by CEO Dr. Chen Mao Davies, a visionary in the field of technology and empathy. Utilising cutting-edge 3D technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Anya offers 24/7 evidence-based, empathetic support throughout the crucial first 1,001 days of the parenting journey. Anya is committed to empowering parents by providing them with valuable education, support, and communities to navigate the challenges of early parenthood and is now expanding its horizons to address broader under-served health journeys.
Google for Startups is an initiative by Google that offers a range of resources and support to early-stage tech startups. It provides access to mentorship, co-working spaces, funding opportunities, and a global network of like-minded entrepreneurs and experts. Google for Startups aims to empower and accelerate the growth of startups by providing them with the tools and connections they need to succeed in the competitive tech industry.
18th September 2023 | Press Release written by Harriet Shuttleworth
