DrinkCoach

What DrinkCoach does

DrinkCoach is a UK digital alcohol support service operated by Waythrough, a registered charity (charity number 515755) and limited company (number 1820492). The service is targeted at UK adults who want to assess and reduce their alcohol consumption, alongside parents/families affected by alcohol, healthcare professionals, and local authority public health commissioners. DrinkCoach's core product is a three-pillar platform: (1) the free WHO AUDIT-validated Alcohol Test (screened via the WHO's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and hosted on UK-based CloudNext infrastructure under GDPR), (2) the free DrinkCoach mobile app for iOS and Android featuring unit/calorie tracking, drink diaries, goal setting, reminders and mindfulness videos, and (3) paid Online Coaching — Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) delivered via Skype by 11 qualified alcohol specialists, chargeable at £55 per 40-minute session (up to six sessions per client), with bookings processed through Booking Live and PayPal. The platform is supplemented by a Coachbot chatbot (drinkcoach.virtualhealthlabs.org) and an e-commerce shop selling educational merchandise (Unit Wheels, Scratch Cards, Measuring Cups, Posters, Banners, branded water bottles) priced from £12.50 to £130+.

DrinkCoach's business model blends three revenue streams: (1) consumer self-pay online coaching at £55/session with promotional discount codes, (2) commissioned local authority contracts under which B2G commissioners receive aggregated monthly outcome reports and free or subsidised sessions for residents, and (3) merchandise sales in bulk to commissioners and individually to consumers. The go-to-market is hybrid — product-led growth via the free App and Alcohol Test drives top-of-funnel acquisition, sales-led for commissioned public-sector contracts, and content marketing/PR-driven through an active blog, organic Twitter/X and Facebook, an email newsletter, and substantial earned media (Telegraph, Guardian, Forbes, Observer, HuffPost). Notable infrastructure partnerships include Booking Live (scheduling), CloudNext (test hosting), and London South Bank University (clinical validation research with Professor Daniel Frings demonstrating online EBI is on par with face-to-face GP delivery).

Name

DrinkCoach

Legal name

Waythrough

Website

https://drinkcoach.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DrinkCoach is a UK digital alcohol support service operated by charity Waythrough, offering a free WHO AUDIT Alcohol Test, a free iOS/Android app, and £55 online coaching sessions via Skype with qualified alcohol specialists, serving UK adults, families, and local authority commissioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Coaching Sessions: DrinkCoach offers up to six sessions of Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) delivered online by alcohol specialists. Each session (including the initial assessment appointment) lasts up to forty minutes. Sessions are charged at £55 per consultation, payable in advance via PayPal through the Booking Live platform. Discount codes and commissioned free/subsidised sessions are also available in certain local authority areas.
2. Merchandise Sales: DrinkCoach operates an e-commerce shop selling promotional and educational merchandise including Unit and Calorie Alcohol Wheels (£111+), Scratch Cards (£106+), Unit Measuring Cups (£130+), Sports Water Bottles (£12.50), A4/A3 Posters (£35-45), Info Cards (£35), and Roller Banners (£55). Items are sold in bulk to local authorities and commissioners and individually to consumers.
3. Commissioned Local Authority Contracts: DrinkCoach is commissioned by local authorities to provide the Alcohol Test and Online Coaching services to residents. Commissioned areas receive aggregated monthly data reports, promotional materials, and access to free or subsidised sessions for residents. This forms a significant public-sector revenue stream alongside individual paid sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DrinkCoach is a UK-focused digital alcohol support platform that combines a free WHO AUDIT-validated Alcohol Test, a free cross-platform mobile app (iOS/Android) with unit and calorie tracking, goal setting, reminders, and mindfulness videos, and paid online video coaching sessions (Extended Brief Interventions) delivered by qualified alcohol specialists via Skype. The service targets UK adults who want to assess and reduce their alcohol consumption, and is also commissioned by local authorities to provide subsidised access to residents. Additional revenue comes from an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise (Unit Wheels, Scratch Cards, Measuring Cups, Posters, Banners, Water Bottles) in bulk to commissioners and individually to consumers.

Product overview

DrinkCoach is a digital health platform operated by Waythrough (formerly Humankind Charity) that offers tools and services to help people reduce their alcohol consumption. The core offering consists of three interconnected products: (1) the DrinkCoach App - a free mobile application for iOS and Android featuring alcohol tracking tools, goal setting, and mindfulness videos; (2) the Alcohol Test - a WHO-validated AUDIT screening tool for assessing drinking risk levels; and (3) Online Coaching - Extended Brief Interventions delivered via video conferencing by qualified alcohol specialists. Additional products include a Unit and Calorie Calculator Wheel, Scratch Cards, Unit Measuring Cups, promotional materials (posters, roller banners), and branded merchandise. The platform integrates with Booking Live for appointments, Skype for video sessions, and various analytics tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Coaching Online coaching appointments delivering Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) via video call (Skype) from qualified alcohol treatment specialists trained in motivational interviewing. Each session (including initial assessment) lasts up to forty minutes, with up to six sessions available per client. Sessions are offered daytime, evenings, and weekends and are charged at £55 per session, payable in advance via PayPal through the Booking Live platform. Targets UK adults wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption as well as residents in commissioned local authority areas receiving free or subsidised access.
• DrinkCoach App Free mobile application available on iOS and Android that helps users track and reduce their alcohol consumption through unit and calorie tracking, goal setting, drink diaries, reminders, mindfulness videos, and integration with online coaching. The app can send text reminders to take it easy or indicate it is time to go home.
• Alcohol Test Free, quick, confidential online screening tool based on the World Health Organisation's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), described as the gold standard in alcohol screening. Provides users with brief advice based on their risk level. Hosted on CloudNext (UK-based, GDPR-compliant) with data held within the UK. Available directly to UK residents and commissioned by local authorities for their populations.
• Unit and Calorie Calculator Wheel A physical wheel device that helps individuals and professionals calculate units and calories in alcoholic drinks, including popular brand names and recommended limits for men and women. Priced from £111 in the DrinkCoach shop.
• Scratch Cards Two-sided colour scratchcards with scratch panels enabling users to quickly self-assess using AUDIT-C in a fun and effective manner. Designed for use at stalls, pharmacies, GP surgeries, and alcohol services. Priced from £106 in the DrinkCoach shop.
• Unit Measuring Cup A branded measuring cup that helps users accurately measure alcohol units. Available in packs of 48 to 960 units and priced from £130 in the DrinkCoach shop.
• Printed Promotional Materials (A4/A3 Posters and Roller Banners) Printed promotional materials for events, conferences, and seminars available in Full Page, Half Page, and Quarter Page formats for both Alcohol Test and Online Coaching services. A4 posters from £40, A3 posters from £45, info cards from £35, and roller banners at £55.
• DrinkCoach Sports Water Bottle A branded water bottle with flip-top drinking spout and fruit infuser to help users stay hydrated and promote healthy alternatives to alcohol consumption. Priced at £12.50 in the DrinkCoach shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Online EBI showed improvements in reduction of drinking days, psychological wellbeing, physical health, and quality of life rating — on par with face-to-face EBI delivered in GP settings. Online clients tended to be younger and scored higher on AUDIT than face-to-face clients.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• WaythroughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrinkCoach is operated by Waythrough, a registered charity (charity number 515755) and limited company (number 1820492). Waythrough provides the organisational infrastructure, clinical governance, staff (DrinkCoaches), and commissioning relationships that underpin the DrinkCoach service. The service is listed as 'Powered by Waythrough' on the website footer.
• Forward Leeds Integrated Substance Misuse ServiceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerForward Leeds is a partnership led by Humankind (the parent charity of Waythrough) in collaboration with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT), BARCA Leeds, and St Anne's Community Services. DrinkCoach references Forward Leeds as a gold-standard model for integrated Dual Diagnosis and mental health pathways. It is held up as an exemplar of how alcohol and mental health services should be co-delivered.
• Insightful Families (Haringey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsightful Families is a Haringey-based service supported by Humankind, providing free and confidential 1:1 support to children and young people affected by parental alcohol use. A hidden harm worker from Insightful Families wrote a guest blog for DrinkCoach, and the two services cross-refer and collaborate on family-focused alcohol support content.
• Club SodacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrinkCoach partnered with Club Soda (a mindful drinking movement and community) to produce a joint guest blog on mindful drinking and mindfulness. Club Soda members benefit from DrinkCoach's clinical tools and coaching, while DrinkCoach benefits from Club Soda's community reach and mindfulness expertise. Jussi Tolvi, co-founder of Club Soda, authored a blog featured on DrinkCoach's website.
• Booking LivecoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking Live is a UK-based third-party online booking platform used by DrinkCoach to host its online appointment booking system. They store and process data within the European Economic Area (EEA) and are bound by GDPR. Selected appointments are reserved for 20 minutes and confirmed upon receipt of payment.
• CloudNextcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe DrinkCoach Alcohol Test is hosted on CloudNext, a UK-based company bound by GDPR. Data from the Alcohol Test is held and stored within the UK. This is a critical infrastructure partnership for the self-service alcohol screening tool.
• London South Bank University (Professor Daniel Frings)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrinkCoach collaborated with Professor Daniel Frings and his team from London South Bank University to conduct research comparing Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) delivered online via Skype versus face-to-face in a GP surgery. The research found online EBI led to equal or greater increases in quality of life and reductions in self-reported drinking days. This study provides the key evidence base for the online coaching model.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tempest: Tempest (formerly Hip Sobriety) is a digital alcohol moderation and sobriety programme combining self-guided curriculum, community, and coaching. Like DrinkCoach, it targets people wanting to cut down (not only dependent drinkers) and uses digital tools plus human support.
• WEconnect Health: WEconnect Health is a mobile recovery management platform with daily check-ins, community, and outcomes tracking for substance use. Its app-led model with measurable outcomes aligns with DrinkCoach's app-plus-tracking plus coaching approach.
• Ria Health: Ria Health is a telemedicine alcohol use disorder treatment platform combining coaching, medication management, and digital tracking. It mirrors DrinkCoach's combination of remote coaching and digital tracking tools for alcohol reduction, with an emphasis on measurable outcomes.
• Change Grow Live: Change Grow Live is a UK charity delivering commissioned substance misuse services across hundreds of local authorities. It competes for the same public-sector commissioning budgets and serves the same population as DrinkCoach's commissioned offering.
• Workit Health: Workit Health provides digital addiction treatment, including for alcohol use disorder, via online coaching, therapy, and medication support. Its online-coaching-led model and digital self-service tools overlap directly with DrinkCoach's EBI coaching plus mobile app approach.
• Monument: Monument is an online alcohol treatment platform offering therapist-led care, community support, and medication-assisted treatment. It is comparable to DrinkCoach's online coaching layer, though with a stronger clinical/medical offering.
• We Are With You: We Are With You (formerly Addaction) is one of the largest UK charities providing free drug and alcohol support, commissioned by local authorities. It is the closest UK analogue to DrinkCoach on mission, commissioning model, and target population.
• Pelago (formerly Quit Genius): Pelago is a digital subscription health platform offering evidence-based programmes for tobacco, alcohol, and opioid use, with employer and health plan distribution. Like DrinkCoach, it delivers clinically structured, online behaviour-change interventions for alcohol reduction at scale, making it the closest commercial analogue globally.
• Turning Point: Turning Point is a major UK social enterprise providing commissioned drug and alcohol treatment services alongside mental health and learning disability support. It is comparable to DrinkCoach in operating as a commissioned UK alcohol intervention provider, primarily via face-to-face delivery.
• Reframe: Reframe is a consumer-facing alcohol reduction app that combines neuroscience-based curriculum, habit tracking, and community support. It overlaps with DrinkCoach's app-first, freemium approach to helping users cut down on drinking, though positioned as a direct-to-consumer product.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DrinkCoach
• Facebookfacebook.com/DrinkCoach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drinkcoach

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 DrinkCoach