Virtually Better
Virtually Better is a Decatur, Georgia-based behavioral-health technology company that sells virtual reality exposure therapy suites and mobile applications exclusively to licensed care providers for treating phobias, PTSD, addictions, and anxiety disorders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersDecatur, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Virtually Better does
Virtually Better, Inc. (VBI) is a privately held behavioral-health technology company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. It designs and sells virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) software and integrated hardware-software systems to licensed behavioral healthcare providers. Its core offerings are four VRET suites, Phobias (fear of flying, heights, public speaking, spiders, etc.), Addictions (bar/restaurant and paraphernalia cue exposure), Relaxation (progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, deep breathing), and PTSD (Bravemind, with Iraq/Afghanistan environments including vibrotactile and optional olfactory stimulation). A separate portfolio of mobile and online applications, including Anchors Away, Pegasys School, Relax Soothe Sleep, Experience Success, DSTAR, Food Allergy Adventure, and the Virtually Resilient VR nurse-resiliency program, targets children, families, and healthcare workers.
Underlying the products is proprietary VR content development: 3D explorable environments, 360-degree video, immersive audio, vibrotactile feedback, and optional scent delivery, combined with a clinical-app layer for use during provider-led sessions. The company has been a pioneer in the field, originating from collaborations between Dr. Barbara O. Rothbaum at Emory and Dr. Larry F. Hodges at Georgia Tech/Clemson, and it maintains federally-funded research collaborations with Brown University, UCF, KCCAT, MUSC, and others.
Commercially, VBI operates a sales-led, direct-to-provider model. Products are sold only to licensed care providers, distributed as one-time licenses for integrated VR systems (hardware plus VBI software), individual software suites, or via mobile-app stores. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company generates additional economic support through federally-funded research grants and licensing arrangements, including its collaboration with USC Institute for Creative Technologies for Bravemind. With 11-50 employees and no disclosed institutional funding rounds, revenue is concentrated in clinical sales and research subcontracts to a narrow licensed-provider customer base in the United States.
Virtually Better firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Virtually Better
- Legal name
- Virtually Better, Inc.
- Website
- https://virtuallybetter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Virtually Better is a Decatur, Georgia-based behavioral-health technology company that sells virtual reality exposure therapy suites and mobile applications exclusively to licensed care providers for treating phobias, PTSD, addictions, and anxiety disorders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Virtually Better industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Behavioral Health Digital Therapeutics
- NAICS
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAI)
Keywords
Where Virtually Better is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Decatur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Virtually Better business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Integrated VR Systems Sales: Sale of comprehensive VR therapy systems combining proprietary software with hardware components. Systems are sold in integrated packages for clinical use by licensed providers. The company offers both comprehensive integrated systems (hardware and software for all suites) and individual VR system packages.
- Software Licenses: Sale of individual software suites (Phobias Suite, Addictions Suite, Relaxation Suite, PTSD Suite) to licensed behavioral healthcare providers. Software is sold as licensed products for clinical use.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Virtually Better product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Virtually Better develops and sells proprietary virtual reality exposure therapy software suites (Phobias, Addictions, Relaxation, and PTSD/Bravemind) packaged as integrated VR hardware-software systems for licensed behavioral healthcare providers. The company also offers mobile and web-based digital therapeutics — including Anchors Away, Pegasys School, Relax Soothe Sleep, Experience Success, DSTAR, and Food Allergy Adventure — built from federally-funded research collaborations. All products are sold directly to licensed providers for clinical use in treating phobias, PTSD, substance use disorders, anxiety, and related behavioral health conditions.
Product overview
Virtually Better offers a comprehensive portfolio of virtual reality and digital health products for behavioral healthcare treatments. The core offering consists of four VR software suites—Phobias Suite, Addictions Suite, Relaxation Suite, and PTSD Suite (Bravemind)—designed for exposure therapy delivered by licensed providers. These are available as integrated systems combining VBI software with compatible VR hardware. In addition to VR products, VBI provides mobile applications including Anchors Away for childhood anxiety, Pegasys School for social anxiety, Relax Soothe Sleep for sleep habits, and platform-based programs like Experience Success for weight management and DSTAR for HIV education. The company also developed Food Allergy Adventure for food allergy education. All products are developed by clinicians for clinicians and are sold only to licensed care providers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Phobias Suite State-of-the-art virtual reality exposure therapy system for treating phobias (fear of flying, heights, bridges, public speaking, storms, darkness, dogs, spiders, roaches), replicating multisensory experiences within clinical office settings; sold to licensed behavioral healthcare providers.
- Addictions Suite Virtual reality exposure treatment system for patients with substance use disorders, providing environments (Bar/Restaurant, Party, Paraphernalia) to safely expose patients to alcohol and nicotine triggers; sold to licensed providers.
- Relaxation Suite Video-based relaxation program combining clinically backed methods (Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindfulness Meditation, Deep Breathing, Guided Relaxation) with immersive VR visuals and ambient sound, including four 360-degree videos and optional aromatherapy; for licensed providers.
- PTSD Suite (Bravemind) VR exposure therapy application for treating combat-related PTSD featuring Iraq and Afghanistan military environments with interactive controls for explosions, firefights, insurgent attacks, and roadside bombs, immersive sound, vibrotactile feedback, and optional scent delivery; sold to licensed providers including VA systems.
- Virtually Resilient Virtual reality nurse resiliency program combining traditional classroom training curriculum with a VR-based immersion environment for pre-field healthcare worker training and continuing education on resilience to stressful situations; sold to healthcare organizations and training programs.
- Comprehensive Integrated System (VBI VR System + Bravemind) Integrated hardware-software VR system bundle including both VBI software suites and compatible VR hardware, available with or without Bravemind; sold exclusively to licensed behavioral healthcare providers for clinical implementation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Clinically validated efficacy demonstrated across multiple peer-reviewed studies and federally-funded research grants
Companies that use Virtually Better
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Virtually Better technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Virtually Better partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Central FloridacoreCollaboration with Deborah Beidel, Ph.D. and Pegasus Professor of Psychology on the Pegasys project - an interactive virtual school for children with social anxiety to practice social skills. Funded by NIMH grant (1R41MH094019-01, 5R41MH094019-02).
- Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment (KCCAT)coreCollaboration with Lisa Hale, Ph.D. on the Anchors Away mobile application for childhood anxiety. Funded by NIMH grant (1R43MH098470-01, 5R43MH098470-02). Application delivers family education and self-help tools for children aged 6-12.
- Brown University - The Miriam HospitalcoreCollaboration with J. Graham Thomas, Ph.D. on Experience Success - a VR weight management program. Funded by NHLBI grant (1R41HL114046-01). Interactive program teaching adults to manage weight through scenario-based learning.
- Brown University - Rhode Island HospitalcoreCollaboration with Larry K. Brown, M.D. on DSTAR HIV prevention platform for teens. Funded by NIMH grant (1R44MH102140-01). Fully automated digital platform for classroom use guiding teens through HIV prevention education.
- Brown UniversitycoreCollaboration with Elizabeth L. McQuaid, Ph.D. on Food Allergy Adventure app. Funded by NICHD grant (1R43HD075524-01). Interactive program teaching children food allergy management skills through animated lessons and games.
- University of HoustonminorInitial collaboration on the Relax, Soothe, Sleep mobile application for parent and child coaching on healthy sleep habits.
- USC Institute for Creative TechnologiescoreLicensing and collaboration arrangement for Bravemind VR system for PTSD treatment. Bravemind is courtesy of USC ICT and provides Iraq and Afghanistan virtual environments for clinical use.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Virtually Better competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BehaVR: BehaVR develops VR-based digital therapeutics for mental and behavioral health conditions including anxiety and stress. It is the closest direct competitor to VBI's VR exposure therapy approach, targeting similar provider and payer channels.
- XRHealth: XRHealth operates a VR telehealth platform that delivers clinician-supervised immersive therapy for mental health, cognitive, and physical conditions. It directly competes with VBI in VR-delivered behavioral healthcare and offers a SaaS-like recurring model.
- AppliedVR: AppliedVR builds FDA-authorized VR therapeutic platforms, primarily for chronic pain management. It shares VBI's approach of using prescription VR for clinical indications and pursues similar regulatory and reimbursement pathways.
- Penumbra (REAL System): Penumbra's REAL Immersive System is a clinically validated VR rehabilitation platform used by hospitals and clinics for upper-limb and cognitive therapy. It is a direct peer in selling integrated VR therapy hardware-software systems to licensed providers.
- Big Health: Big Health develops FDA-cleared digital therapeutics for insomnia (Sleepio) and anxiety (Daylight). It overlaps directly with VBI's anxiety/sleep/behavioral health focus, but delivers via mobile/web rather than VR.
Broad incumbents
- Akili Interactive: Akili Interactive has been a leading FDA-authorized digital therapeutics company (initially for ADHD). It operates broadly across the digital therapeutics category and shares VBI's regulatory and clinical-validation orientation, though its core indication is different.
- Pear Therapeutics: Pear Therapeutics was a pioneer in prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) for substance use disorder, opioid use disorder, and insomnia. It was the most directly comparable DTx peer to VBI in business model and regulatory pathway (now defunct but historically a key benchmark).
Emerging players
- Headspace Health: Headspace provides digital mental wellness products including meditation, sleep, and therapy services to consumers, employers, and payers. Its relaxation and mindfulness capabilities overlap with VBI's Relaxation Suite and Relax Soothe Sleep app, though delivered via mobile rather than VR.
- Calm Health: Calm Health (the clinical arm of Calm) offers digital mental health programs for sleep, anxiety, and stress to payers, providers, and employers. It overlaps with VBI's relaxation and anxiety products but competes as a broader mental wellness platform.
- Limbic: Limbic provides AI-driven digital mental health support, including self-referral and therapy matching tools used by NHS Talking Therapies and US providers. It is an adjacent digital behavioral health peer with partial overlap on the anxiety/mental health indication set.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Virtually Better social profiles
Digital presenceVirtually Better compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Virtually Better financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Virtually Better leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Virtually Better funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Virtually Better 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 Virtually Better
What does Virtually Better do?
Virtually Better develops and sells proprietary virtual reality exposure therapy software suites (Phobias, Addictions, Relaxation, and PTSD/Bravemind) packaged as integrated VR hardware-software systems for licensed behavioral healthcare providers. The company also offers mobile and web-based digital therapeutics — including Anchors Away, Pegasys School, Relax Soothe Sleep, Experience Success, DSTAR, and Food Allergy Adventure — built from federally-funded research collaborations. All products are sold directly to licensed providers for clinical use in treating phobias, PTSD, substance use disorders, anxiety, and related behavioral health conditions.
Is Virtually Better a public or private company?
Virtually Better is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Virtually Better founded?
Virtually Better was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Virtually Better based?
Virtually Better is headquartered in Decatur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Virtually Better make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Integrated VR Systems Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses.
Who are Virtually Better's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BehaVR, XRHealth, AppliedVR, Penumbra (REAL System) and Big Health. Broad incumbents are Akili Interactive and Pear Therapeutics. Emerging players are Headspace Health, Calm Health and Limbic.
Does Virtually Better have an API?
No public API is recorded for Virtually Better.
What industry is Virtually Better in?
Virtually Better's product category is Behavioral Health Digital Therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLACANAI, Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital). Its NAICS code is 621420 and its SIC code is 7372.