Brooklyn Health is a technology company.
Brooklyn Health has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round.
Brooklyn Health has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Brooklyn Health is a neuroscience technology company developing AI-powered tools for objective mental health measurement, primarily targeting clinical trials in psychiatry and neurology. Its flagship product, Willis, is an electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA) platform that analyzes patient interviews via facial expressions, body language, vocal tone, and speech to provide quantifiable, bias-reduced data, replacing subjective pen-and-paper methods.[1][2][3] The company serves pharmaceutical companies like Boehringer Ingelheim and Bristol Myers Squibb, solving the core problem of imprecise symptom assessment in CNS drug trials, which has historically led to inconsistent efficacy measurements.[1][2] Recently raising $6.5M in seed funding led by HealthX Ventures, Brooklyn Health demonstrates strong early momentum with partnerships, an open-source codebase, and ambitions to expand into broader diagnostics and precision care.[1][2]
Founded by Anzar Abbas, a neuroscientist with a background in the history and philosophy of science, Brooklyn Health emerged from Abbas's recognition of fundamental flaws in mental health measurement. Abbas, inspired by 17th-century physician Thomas Willis—who coined "neurologie" and advanced brain science—named the core product after him to honor overlooked pioneers.[3] The idea crystallized around automating unreliable clinical interviews, a staple in CNS trials vulnerable to clinician bias.[1][2] Early traction came quickly: the company debuted Willis alongside its seed round, securing deals with major pharma players and open-sourcing its Python library, OpenWillis, to drive industry adoption.[1][2][3]
Brooklyn Health stands out in the mental health tech space through these key strengths:
Brooklyn Health rides the AI-in-healthcare wave, specifically addressing measurement gaps in mental health—a field plagued by subjectivity amid rising demand for CNS drugs.[1][2] Timing is ideal: post-pandemic mental health crises and AI advancements enable precise phenotyping, while regulatory pressures demand better trial data amid high failure rates (over 90% for psych drugs).[1] Market tailwinds include exploding digital health investment and pharma's shift to objective biomarkers, positioning Brooklyn Health to standardize eCOA like ECG did for cardiology.[2] By open-sourcing, it influences the ecosystem, bridging academia and industry to accelerate drug discovery and personalized treatments.[1][2]
Brooklyn Health is poised to redefine mental health trials by enforcing AI standards in a fragmented field, with Willis expanding beyond pharma to diagnostics and care. Upcoming trends like multimodal AI and real-world evidence will amplify its edge, potentially capturing a slice of the $50B+ clinical trials market. As open-source adoption grows, expect deeper pharma embeds and new revenue from enterprise tools—evolving from trial innovator to precision psychiatry leader, much like its namesake reshaped neurology centuries ago.[1][2][3]
Brooklyn Health has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Brooklyn Health's investors include 1776, HealthX Ventures.
Brooklyn Health has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Seed in May 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 | $7.0M Seed | 1776, HealthX Ventures |