Building a high-growth digital mental health care platform from the ground up – from idea validation to exit

Company	Wellbee
PE/VC investor	Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder
Investment period	2020-2024

10

Return

8.7

Therapy hours growth

(2021-2024)

4.1

Cooperating mental health specialists growth

(2021-2024)

Wellbee is a psychotherapy and personal development platform connecting patients with suitably matched mental health specialists, including experts in psychotherapy, psychiatry, coaching, and other specialized services. It also runs multiple psychoeducational initiatives. It was founded in 2020 – at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to mental health support was more urgent than ever – by Paweł Chrzan and a VC fund, Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder; soon after, strategist Darek Milewski joined as a co-founder. The company entered the market with a clear mission: to democratize access to mental healthcare and wellbeing.

Wellbee began with an offering for individual patients and promptly expanded into B2B, enabling employers to offer mental health support as an employee benefit.

By the end of 2021, Wellbee’s specialist team had grown to 75, delivering nearly 9,000 hours of therapy that year. In 2022, therapy hours rose 274% YoY, the team of therapists doubled, 60+ B2B clients joined, and WP2 Investments invested PLN 3.5m. In 2023, bValue Fund strengthened the investor roster.

In 2024, Wellbee had 300+ specialists on its team (+300%) and facilitated nearly 75,000 therapy hours (+766% vs 2021). That November it was acquired by Benefit Systems, Poland’s employee benefits leader.

Main PE/VC
funding objectives

Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder co-founded the company.
The fund’s hands-on support in business and product strategy enabled the co-founders to promptly launch the platform and capitalize on the momentum, positioning Wellbee to become the leader in the online psychotherapy and wellbeing services market.
The funding kick-started operations and made it possible for the company to design the product, enter the market, and execute growth strategies.

What changed
in the company after
the PE/VC investment

Wellbee would not have been founded without Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder’s support and funding.
The fund identified a market gap and supported the management team in shaping Wellbee’s business strategy and product. Based on ongoing analysis, the fund advised Wellbee’s management to expand its offering to B2B clients and facilitated the addition of Darek Milewski, a senior B2B strategist, whose expertise fuelled the growth of Wellbee’s B2B arm.
Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder actively supported the company from idea validation through to exit, including in securing subsequent funding rounds.

ESG related initiatives and accomplishments

Wellbee was founded at a time when mental health support had become critically important, with a clear mission to democratize access to mental healthcare and wellbeing – a mission it has been successfully carrying out. The company has directly helped tens of thousands of people, including individuals and corporate employees, and – through educational activities – has inspired hundreds of thousands to take care of their mental health.

Thanks to our fantastic team and the support of investors who believed in the project back when it was still just an idea on paper, we managed to grow quickly and in multiple directions – always prioritizing our patients’ best interests and the quality of service. Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder played a key role in Wellbee’s journey to becoming a market leader and providing mental health support to tens of thousands of patients in Poland.

Darek Milewski

CEO and co-founder, Wellbee