Synthesis

What Synthesis does

Synthesis (legally The Resurgence Training Institute Inc., incorporated in Delaware and operating from Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a psychedelic wellness, education, and retreat organization founded in 2018. The company runs legally guided psilocybin-truffle immersion retreats in the Netherlands and operates a multi-tiered training portfolio, anchored by the 13-month Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training certificate program (launched 2021) and supplemented by a free Fundamentals on-demand series, a 12-month Practicum, and an Immersion Apprenticeship Program. It also offers Synthesis Therapy for individuals with treatment-resistant depression, a Colorado Facilitator Training aligned with state-level natural-medicine regulation, and an MA/PhD Pathway in partnership with the University of Lisbon.

The company monetizes primarily through tuition-based training programs and retreat fees, with a freemium content funnel (free Fundamentals video series, Synthesis Circles community events, and the Observatory blog) feeding prospective trainees and retreat participants. Synthesis has trained 500+ practitioners worldwide and served 1,100+ retreat participants since 2018, supported by 11–50 employees. Operations run on third-party platforms—Circle for community/learning, Zoom for live sessions, Retreat Guru for booking, HubSpot for CRM, and Paysafe for tuition payments—with no proprietary technology stack.

The business model is community-led: educational content, research credibility (via a multi-year Imperial College London collaboration yielding peer-reviewed publications on retreat outcomes including a 37% reduction in depressive symptoms at 2 weeks post-retreat), and an advisory board featuring leading psychedelic researchers (Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, Dr. Rosalind Watts) build trust and a top-of-funnel that converts into paid training and retreat programs. To date, Synthesis has raised approximately $10M across a $2.75M Novamind round (July 2020) and a $7.25M Able Partners round (January 2021), and in December 2025 made a strategic investment in Sushi, installing its own Alex McCurry as Sushi's CEO.

Name

Synthesis

Legal name

The Resurgence Training Institute Inc.

Website

https://synthesisinstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Synthesis is a Netherlands-based psychedelic wellness and education organization that runs legal psilocybin-truffle retreats, a 13-month Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training program, and clinical programs for treatment-resistant depression, serving individual retreat participants and a global community of over 500 trained practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Psychedelic Education and Wellness

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)

Keywords

• Psychedelic practitioner training
• Psilocybin retreat programs
• Psychedelic education platform
• Psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Trauma-informed facilitator certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Program Fees: Synthesis generates revenue through paid training programs including the 13-month Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training, Apprenticeship Immersion Program, and 12-month Practicum. Programs require tuition payments and follow a Training Services Agreement with students.
2. Retreat Program Fees: The company offers legal psychedelic-supported immersion retreats using psilocybin-containing truffles, including a 7-week program with preparation, retreat, and integration components. Retreats are conducted at licensed venues near Amsterdam, Netherlands.
3. Free Educational Content: Free on-demand content including the 10-week Psychedelic Practitioner Fundamentals video series, live event series, and community events serve as top-of-funnel lead generation for paid programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Synthesis sells legal, professionally guided psychedelic education, training, and retreat experiences. Its core paid offerings are the 13-month Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training certificate program for aspiring psychedelic practitioners and the 7-week Immersion Retreat program using legal psilocybin truffles in the Netherlands. Supplementary paid offerings include the 12-month Practicum, Immersion Apprenticeship Program, Synthesis Therapy for depression, an MA/PhD Pathway with the University of Lisbon, and a Colorado Facilitator Training program aligned with state natural medicine regulations.

Product overview

The Synthesis Institute is a psychedelic education and training organization offering a multi-tiered product portfolio centered on psychedelic practitioner training and legal psychedelic retreat experiences. The core offerings include the 13-month Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training certificate program and the free Psychedelic Practitioner Fundamentals on-demand series. Advanced programs include the 12-month Practicum and Immersion Apprenticeship Program. The company also operates Immersion Retreats, a legal 7-week psychedelic-supported retreat program using psilocybin truffles. Synthesis Therapy provides specialized psilocybin-assisted therapeutic programs for depression. Additional offerings include Synthesis Circles (virtual events), Colorado Facilitator Training, and an MA/PhD Pathway partnership with University of Lisbon. The company has served over 1,100 participants in legal retreats since 2018 and has trained over 500 practitioners through its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Synthesis Therapy: Therapeutic program for individuals with depression using psilocybin experiences with specialist therapeutic guidance.
• Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training
• Immersion Retreats
• Expansion Retreats
• Synthesis Circles

Products and services

• Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training An interdisciplinary and foundational 13-month certificate program that cultivates the core competencies for safe, ethical, and trauma-informed psychedelic practice, designed for therapists, counselors, coaches, and healthcare providers seeking a career credential in psychedelic care.
• Immersion Retreats A legal, professionally guided 7-week psychedelic-supported retreat program including Preparation, a 5-day immersive Retreat, and Integration phases, conducted at licensed venues near Amsterdam, Netherlands using legal psilocybin-containing truffles.
• Psychedelic Practitioner Practicum A 12-month advanced program for Synthesis Core Training graduates, offering on-site placements at global partner sites and monthly group mentorship workshops for ongoing skill-building and support.
• Immersion Apprenticeship Program Hands-on learning and practice opportunities with professional guidance and mentorship, offered exclusively for Synthesis students and graduates as part of the training pathway.
• Synthesis Therapy A small-group psilocybin-assisted therapeutic program for people suffering from mental health difficulties, providing specialist therapeutic guidance with edible truffles containing psilocybin in a legal, professionally supported setting.
• MA/PhD Pathway An interdisciplinary academic pathway for advanced study in psychedelic care, delivered in partnership with the University of Lisbon, designed for practitioners pursuing master's or doctoral-level credentials.
• Colorado Facilitator Training A facilitator training program aligned with Colorado state regulations for natural medicine, preparing participants for state-regulated psilocybin facilitation under Colorado's natural medicine framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wellbeing increased 14% at 2 weeks and 8% at 6 months post-retreat
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr. Rosalind WattscoreOthers · 1 July 2021Dr. Rosalind Watts, former Clinical Lead of Imperial College London Psilocybin for Depression Study, joined as Clinical Director to develop therapeutic programs including Synthesis Therapy for depression. Previously served on Advisory Board. Developed psychedelic therapy model 'Accept, Connect, Embody'.
• Dr. Tim ReadcoreOthers · 23 October 2020Psychiatry expert, medical doctor, psychotherapist, and clinical psychiatrist Dr. Tim Read joined as Lead Supervisor, bringing expertise in shadow work and psychological growth.
• Tero Isokauppila (Four Sigmatic)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2020CEO & Co-Founder of Four Sigmatic joined Synthesis Advisory Board to support strategy and development. Known as mushroom expert and brings expertise in functional mushrooms and wellness.
• Imperial College London - Centre for Psychedelic ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2019Ongoing research collaboration since 2018 involving data collection from Synthesis participants who opt-in to the Psychedelic Survey platform. Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris serves on Synthesis Advisory Board. Partnership includes ceremonial research study, published papers on communitas, eating disorders, and metaphysical beliefs, and exploratory research with EEG & HRV monitors.
• Leiden UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner collaborating on psychedelic research initiatives and educational content development.
• University of LisbonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner collaborating on psychedelic science research and practitioner training.
• University of Maryland (Robert H. Smith School of Business)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for psychedelic research and interdisciplinary psychedelic care program development.
• Colorado Office of Natural MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory partnership aligned with Colorado facilitator training program standards and certification requirements.
• Carhart-Harris LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration led by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris focusing on psilocybin for depression, psychedelic neuroscience, and therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Includes CHL Global Psychedelic Study.
• Resurgence Training Institute Inc.coreOthersParent company operating as The Synthesis Institute. The Resurgence Training Institute Inc. is the legal entity providing psychedelic education, training programs, and retreat experiences.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Third Wave: The Third Wave is a psychedelic education and training platform offering online courses and a directory of integration professionals. It competes with Synthesis' Fundamentals series and free educational content for the same practitioner-curious audience.
• Soltara Healing Center: Soltara operates psilocybin retreat programs in Costa Rica with preparation, ceremony, and integration support. It competes with Synthesis' Immersion Retreats for international wellness and personal-growth retreat customers seeking legal psychedelic experiences.
• Fluence: Fluence provides continuing education and certificate programs in psychedelic therapy and integration for clinicians and practitioners. It is a direct competitor to Synthesis' Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training, offering similarly structured CE-eligible curricula.
• Beckley Retreats: Beckley Retreats operates legal psilocybin retreat programs in the Netherlands, often featuring scientific research collaboration with the Beckley Foundation. It is a direct retreat competitor to Synthesis' Immersion Retreats in the same legal jurisdiction.
• Field Trip Health (now Numinus Wellness): Numinus operates ketamine-assisted therapy clinics and psychedelic wellness programs across North America. It overlaps with Synthesis on psychedelic practitioner training, retreat-style experiences, and clinical mental health applications.
• Changa Institute: Changa Institute offers psychedelic practitioner training, retreats, and integration support, blending indigenous traditions with clinical frameworks. It is a direct peer to Synthesis across both training and retreat offerings.
• Innate Path: Innate Path offers online psychedelic practitioner training and certification programs focused on clinical and integration work. It competes directly with Synthesis' training portfolio for therapist and coach applicants seeking credentialed psychedelic education.
• Atman Retreat: Atman Retreat offers psilocybin-assisted retreats in the Netherlands with a focus on preparation, supported ceremony, and integration. It is a direct competitor to Synthesis in the same legal Dutch truffle retreat market.

Broad incumbents

• Compass Pathways: Compass Pathways is a public mental health care company developing psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression, including proprietary COMP360 psilocybin and therapist training programs. It is a broader incumbent serving overlapping clinician and patient populations through clinical trials and training infrastructure.
• MindMed: MindMed is a public psychedelic medicine company developing clinical-stage LSD and MDMA-assisted therapies. It overlaps with Synthesis in psychedelic-assisted treatment of mental health conditions and engages practitioner training at the clinical level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/synthesisinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-synthesis-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/synthesisinstitute
• Xx.com/synthesisrtrt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Synthesis