The Difference
The Difference is a New York-based mental health technology company that launched the first Amazon Alexa Skill for easy access therapy, serving individual consumers directly and enterprise employees through voluntary benefits such as MetLife.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Difference does
The Difference is a mental health technology company founded in 2018 by Bea Arthur, a Columbia University-trained psychotherapist and Y Combinator alumnus. Its core product was the first Amazon Alexa Skill for easy access therapy, pioneering voice-based delivery of mental health support and distributing primarily through Amazon's consumer voice platform. The service was structured around hands-free, on-demand therapeutic interaction, targeting individual consumers who faced cost, accessibility, or convenience barriers to traditional therapy.
In 2019, the company was selected by the TechStars accelerator and extended its offering into the enterprise channel, building a mental health product deployed as a voluntary employee benefit for MetLife. Revenue mechanics appear to combine a consumer subscription or freemium Alexa Skill with enterprise voluntary-benefit billing, though pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held, based in New York, operates with 1-10 employees, and has raised only a $25,000 Techstars round plus a Backstage Capital investment. Subsequent public activity from the founder has shifted toward media (Sonos podcast, TEDx, ForbesWomen editorial, Fox News) and a 2026 debut book, suggesting founder attention is divided between the platform and personal brand extensions.
The Difference firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Difference
- Website
- https://thedifference.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Difference is a New York-based mental health technology company that launched the first Amazon Alexa Skill for easy access therapy, serving individual consumers directly and enterprise employees through voluntary benefits such as MetLife.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Difference industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Behavioral Health (Collaborative Care) Platforms (HLALAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Voice Assistants & Voice UI (VUI) (HDAAAFAD), Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)
Keywords
Where The Difference is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Difference business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Voice-based Therapy Subscription: The Difference operated as an Alexa Skill providing therapy services, likely through a subscription or employer-sponsored voluntary benefit model. In 2019, the company built a mental health product as a voluntary benefit for MetLife employees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Difference product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Difference delivers mental health therapy through voice technology, operating as the first Amazon Alexa Skill for easy-access therapy. It provides hands-free, on-demand mental health support to individual consumers and extends the offering as an enterprise voluntary benefit (notably with MetLife in 2019).
Product overview
The Difference is a mental health technology company that launched in 2018 as the first Alexa Skill for easy access therapy. Founded by Bea Arthur, the company was developed through the TechStars accelerator program and provided a mental health product as a voluntary employee benefit for MetLife in 2019. The company pioneered voice-based mental health support, making therapy more accessible through voice assistant technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Difference Alexa Skill
- MetLife Voluntary Employee Mental Health Benefit
Companies that use The Difference
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Difference technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Difference partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MetLifecoreThe company was selected by TechStars accelerator to build out a mental health product as a voluntary benefit for MetLife employees in 2019. This represented a significant enterprise partnership for the company.
- TechStarscoreTechStars accelerator selected Bea Arthur and The Difference to build out a mental health product, leading to the MetLife partnership. TechStars provided mentorship and accelerator support.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Difference competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BetterHelp: Largest consumer online therapy platform (Teladoc-owned), offering text/audio/video therapy via subscription. Directly comparable mental health delivery model, but with vastly greater scale and a multi-modal rather than voice-only approach.
- Headspace Health: Combined Headspace (consumer meditation) and Ginger (on-demand coaching/therapy) offering sold to consumers and employers. Comparable hybrid consumer + employer mental health benefits model.
Direct peers
- Talkspace: Online therapy platform providing B2C subscriptions and B2B employer/insurance partnerships with licensed therapists via messaging and video. Closely comparable on telehealth therapy delivery and voluntary benefits GTM.
- Lyra Health: Mental health benefits platform sold to enterprise employers, offering therapy, coaching, and medication management. Directly comparable B2B voluntary benefits motion and clinical mental health delivery.
- Modern Health: Mental health platform providing therapy, coaching, and self-guided digital programs to enterprise employees globally. Comparable employer-sponsored benefits model and hybrid human+digital delivery.
- Spring Health: Precision mental health benefits platform sold to employers, combining assessments with therapy and coaching. Comparable B2B2C benefits distribution and outcomes-oriented positioning.
- Calm: Consumer mental wellness subscription app offering meditation, sleep, and self-guided content via mobile. Comparable digital mental wellness delivery and B2B employer benefits partnerships, though not human therapist-led.
- Ginger (Headspace Health): On-demand coaching, therapy, and psychiatry delivered via app, originally B2B employer benefits focused and now part of Headspace Health. Comparable employer-channel mental health delivery and subscription model.
Emerging players
- Woebot Health: AI-driven conversational mental health chatbot for consumers and enterprise use. Comparable on automated/conversational delivery of mental health support, though text-based rather than voice.
- Wysa: AI conversational mental health app combining chatbot self-help with optional human therapist escalation, sold to employers and health plans. Comparable on conversational AI modality and B2B benefits distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Difference social profiles
Digital presenceThe Difference financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Difference leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Difference funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Difference M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Difference
What does The Difference do?
The Difference delivers mental health therapy through voice technology, operating as the first Amazon Alexa Skill for easy-access therapy. It provides hands-free, on-demand mental health support to individual consumers and extends the offering as an enterprise voluntary benefit (notably with MetLife in 2019).
Is The Difference a public or private company?
The Difference is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Difference founded?
The Difference was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Difference based?
The Difference is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Difference make money?
One revenue line is on record: voice-based Therapy Subscription.
Who are The Difference's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BetterHelp and Headspace Health. Direct peers are Talkspace, Lyra Health, Modern Health, Spring Health, Calm and Ginger (Headspace Health). Emerging players are Woebot Health and Wysa.
Does The Difference have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Difference.
What industry is The Difference in?
The Difference's product category is Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLALAEAC, Integrated Behavioral Health (Collaborative Care) Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAD, Voice Assistants & Voice UI (VUI). Its NAICS code is 621112 and its SIC code is 8000.