Slingshot AI

What Slingshot AI does

Slingshot AI is a New York City-based private company whose flagship product is Ash, an AI-powered mental health therapy chatbot built on what the company describes as a "foundation model for psychology" — a specialized large language model trained on diverse behavioral health data and integrating multiple evidence-based therapeutic modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing). The system is designed to respect users' self-determination — supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness — rather than impose a single therapeutic philosophy, and is positioned as a complement rather than replacement for human therapy. The product launched in 2022 following approximately 18 months of development, with a formal pivot to the foundation-model framing articulated in a January 2024 company manifesto.

Ash is distributed as a direct-to-consumer subscription application accessible via a self-serve web/mobile experience (talktoash.com) and the company's main website (slingshotai.com), with no enterprise sales motion, channel partners, or resellers referenced. Slingshot AI employs a product-led growth strategy that leverages beta feedback from 25,000 testers (including a large number of licensed therapists) and a published 300-participant clinical study reporting improvements in depression, anxiety, and wellbeing, alongside earned media and policy coalition participation (American Innovators Network) to build credibility.

The business generates revenue through undisclosed consumer subscription pricing, targeting individuals who cannot access or afford traditional therapy. Cumulative users reached 150,000+ since launch. The company has raised $93 million in total funding across rounds in 2024 and 2025, with the most recent a $53M Series A extension in July 2025 co-led by Radical Ventures and Forerunner Ventures with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Backed by top-tier consumer and AI-focused venture capital, Slingshot operates with an 11–50 person team headquartered in New York City.

Name

Slingshot AI

Legal name

Slingshot AI

Website

https://slingshot.xyz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Slingshot AI builds Ash, a consumer-facing AI therapy chatbot powered by a specialized "foundation model for psychology" trained on diverse behavioral health data, serving individuals who cannot access or afford traditional mental health care via a direct-to-consumer subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Mental Health Therapy

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) & Addiction Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAD), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Remote Monitoring (HLACAFAD)

Keywords

• AI mental health
• AI therapy app
• Behavioral health AI
• Digital therapeutics
• Conversational AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. AI Therapy App (Ash) — Consumer Subscription: Slingshot AI generates revenue through its AI-powered therapy app Ash, offered on a subscription basis to individual consumers. The app provides on-demand mental health support accessible at any time, addressing the gap for users who cannot afford or access traditional therapy. Specific tier pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Slingshot AI builds and sells Ash, an AI-powered mental health therapy app for individual consumers. Ash is powered by a proprietary foundation model for psychology trained on diverse behavioral health data and integrates multiple therapeutic modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, motivational interviewing) to deliver personalized, on-demand conversational therapy support via a subscription-based mobile/web app.

Product overview

Slingshot AI is an a16-backed mental health technology company based in New York City with a single flagship product: Ash, an AI-powered mental health therapy app. Ash is built on a specialized psychology foundation model trained on diverse behavioral health data, offering personalized mental health support through conversational AI. The product incorporates multiple therapeutic modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, motivational interviewing) and adapts to individual user needs, value systems, and cultural norms. The company positions Ash as a tool to help address the mental health crisis by providing accessible therapy support, noting that 54% of people struggling with mental health do not receive care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ash: AI therapy chatbot and flagship product of Slingshot AI, designed to provide personalized mental health support using therapeutic approaches including CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing. The product was launched in 2022 and claims to assist over 150,000 users in managing stress and anxiety.

Products and services

• Ash Ash is an AI-powered mental health therapy app for individual consumers, built on a proprietary foundation model for psychology trained on diverse behavioral health data. It delivers personalized conversational therapy support integrating CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing, with weekly pattern-recognition insights and embedded safety guardrails. Ash is offered on a subscription basis and positioned as an accessible, non-judgmental complement to traditional therapy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improvements in depression, anxiety, and overall wellbeing reported in a 300-participant clinical study of Ash
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Innovators NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2026Slingshot AI is a member of the American Innovators Network (AIN), a coalition of over 30 organizations advocating for small AI startups ('Little Tech') in federal and state AI policy debates. Over 1,000 AI-related bills were introduced across U.S. states in 2025 alone, and AIN positions itself to ensure smaller companies have a voice in shaping regulations that could disadvantage emerging players relative to larger established companies. Slingshot AI joined alongside partners including Doppel, Andreessen Horowitz, Scale AI, and Y Combinator.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cerebral:
• Headspace Health: Headspace (merged with Ginger) is a broad mental health platform offering meditation, coaching, and teletherapy. It overlaps with Ash on consumer mental wellness subscriptions and now on AI-assisted therapy via Ginger integration.
• Calm: Calm is a leading consumer mental wellness subscription (meditation, sleep, mindfulness). While currently less focused on AI therapy, it competes for the same mental health consumer subscription dollar and could expand into AI-driven support.
• BetterHelp: BetterHelp is the largest online therapy platform (owned by Teladoc), connecting consumers to human therapists via subscription. It is a substitute offering to Ash for users willing and able to pay for traditional therapy and represents a key incumbent competitor.
• Talkspace: Talkspace is an established online therapy and psychiatry platform with B2B payer relationships. It competes with Slingshot for the digital mental health subscription segment and increasingly for employer/insurer contracts.

Direct peers

• Woebot Health: Woebot Health is one of the most direct competitors — an AI-powered chatbot delivering CBT-based mental health support to consumers and via B2B partnerships with payers and employers. It overlaps directly with Ash on AI-delivered therapy, evidence-based modalities, and clinical validation claims.
• Wysa: Wysa is an AI mental health chatbot combining CBT, DBT, and mindfulness techniques, with both consumer subscriptions and enterprise sales to employers and health plans. It directly competes with Ash in the AI-driven self-guided mental health support category.
• Replika: Replika is an AI companion chatbot that millions use for emotional support and mental wellbeing. While broader than therapy, it occupies adjacent conversational AI territory and competes for the same consumer mental health support wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/slingshotai_inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slingshotai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Slingshot AI