Ginger & Headspace To Merge As Global Demand For Mental Health Support Skyrockets

SANTA MONICA, United States — Headspace and Ginger, two of the wellness industry’s biggest brands, have announced their intention to merge. 

The strategic move will see the mindfulness and meditation behemoth and on-demand mental health platform form a combined entity called Headspace Health. This, the two brands argue, will create “the world’s most accessible and comprehensive digital mental health and wellbeing platform”.

The decision comes at a time when demand for mental health support continues to skyrocket. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 4 people currently experience mental health issues each year. And with the pandemic disrupting in-person mental health services globally, democratizing access to mental healthcare has never been more crucial.

“We are witnessing a mental health crisis unlike anything we’ve experienced in our lifetimes, yet the majority of mental healthcare today is neither broadly accessible nor affordable,” commented CeCe Morken, CEO of Headspace.

“Together, as Headspace Health, we will address the systemic challenges of access and affordability in a fundamentally different way by creating the world’s most holistic, scalable, and effective mental health and wellbeing company.”

One of the pioneers of fusing mediation and technology, Headspace — which was founded in 2010 by Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson — has grown into a leader within the mindfulness and mental training category.

Ginger, meanwhile, founded in 2010 by Karan Singh, offers its members convenient, high-quality mental healthcare – including behavioural health coaching, therapy, and psychiatry – right from a smartphone.

Both brands have garnered an engaged following and caught the attention of investors, raising more than $200 million respectively.

However, together as Headspace Health, the two companies will be able to serve consumers, employers, and health plans in a more holistic way that’s underpinned by clinical expertise.

They argue their combined expertise in consumer brand, evidence-based interventions and technology will help improve resilience, reduce stress and provide treatment to the millions of people experiencing mental health symptoms, from anxiety to depression to more complex diagnoses.

As recognition of the fluid nature of mental health and the evolving needs of individuals grows, it’s a smart move to create a more integrative and nuanced offering that can cater to people as their needs ebb and flow. And it has the potential to further establish both brands as leaders within the industry.

“Headspace and Ginger have a shared recognition that the mental health crisis can’t be solved by simply hiring more therapists or moving care online,” explained Russell Glass, CEO of Ginger.

“Through this merger, we can uniquely tackle the full spectrum of mental health needs – from prevention to clinical care – all from one integrated platform.”

Upon merging, the combined company will use technology to scale affordable, accessible care to people around the world, reaching nearly 100 million lives across all 50 US states and in 190+ countries worldwide.