What stem4 does

stem4 is a UK-registered digital mental health charity (Charity No. 1144506) founded in June 2011 by Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Nihara Krause MBE, headquartered in Wimbledon, London. The organisation develops and distributes a portfolio of five free mobile applications targeting children and young people: Clear Fear (anxiety, CBT), Calm Harm (self-harm, DBT), Move Mood (low mood/depression, Behavioural Activation Therapy), Combined Minds (family and friend support), and Worth Warrior (low self-worth, body image, eating disorders). All apps are clinician-developed, grounded in validated psychological therapies, and distributed free of charge via the iOS App Store and Google Play. As of the source data, the apps have recorded 5.5 million+ cumulative downloads across 220 countries and territories.

The charity operates an institutional channel through the Clear Fear for Schools programme, which combines the Clear Fear app with staff-led psychoeducation, PSHE-aligned resources, and parental materials for 2,000 UK secondary schools, alongside an app licensing / white-label programme that allows other organisations to deploy stem4's clinically validated tools under their own brand. The organisation is funded by individual donations, philanthropy, corporate fundraising, workbook sales (via Amazon), and the licensing programme; no pricing is charged to end users. The company is governed by trustees and is not listed; Dr Nihara Krause MBE serves as both Chief Clinical Officer and CEO.

stem4 extends its reach through recurring national awareness campaigns including Youth Mental Health Day (30 January), Parent Mental Health Day, and a Movember partnership targeting boys and young men. The charity also publishes research and surveys (e.g. a July 2023 survey of 1,025 young people) and is shortlisted for Breakthrough of the Year at the Third Sector Awards 2026. Operationally, the organisation is lean, with 1-10 employees, and holds Cyber Essentials certification.

Name

stem4

Legal name

stem4

Website

https://stem4.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

stem4 is a UK-registered digital mental health charity, founded in 2011, that develops five free, clinician-developed mobile applications (Clear Fear, Calm Harm, Move Mood, Combined Minds, Worth Warrior) to help children and young people manage anxiety, depression, self-harm, body image and eating disorders, and supports 2,000 UK secondary schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Mental Health Apps and Youth Mental Health Charity Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAI), Neurodevelopmental & Behavioral Therapy Platforms (ADHD/Autism/Behavioral Coaching) (HLALAEAJ)

Keywords

• Digital mental health
• Youth mental health apps
• Therapeutic mobile apps
• School mental health programmes
• Evidence-based CBT tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Wimbledon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: stem4 relies on public donations including one-time gifts, regular giving, major/philanthropic gifts, and legacy bequests to fund its charitable activities.
2. Corporate Fundraising: Corporate partners support through fundraising activities, corporate donations, and cause-related partnerships.
3. App Licensing: stem4 offers custom app licensing opportunities, placing its clinically validated digital tools (e.g. versions of Calm Harm, Clear Fear) into the hands of organisations under white-label or licensing arrangements.
4. Secondary School Workbook Sales: The workbook 'Worried about going to secondary school or college?' is available for purchase via Amazon alongside the free download option.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

stem4 provides a portfolio of five evidence-based mental health mobile applications (Calm Harm, Clear Fear, Move Mood, Combined Minds, Worth Warrior) for teenagers and young people, developed by clinical psychologists and grounded in CBT, DBT, and Behavioural Activation Therapy. The charity supplements these apps with school-based programmes (Clear Fear for Schools and the Schools Programme) and offers white-label app licensing opportunities to organisations seeking clinically validated mental health tools.

Product overview

stem4 provides a suite of five evidence-based mental health apps for teenagers and young people, alongside school-focused programmes. The core portfolio includes Calm Harm (for self-harm management using DBT), Clear Fear (for anxiety using CBT), Move Mood (for depression using Behavioural Activation Therapy), Combined Minds (for family support), and Worth Warrior (for body image and early eating disorders). These apps are complemented by Clear Fear for Schools, which extends the digital mental health tools into educational settings with staff training, and a custom app licensing programme for organisations. The organisation also provides educational resources and PSHE materials for secondary schools through its Schools Programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Calm Harm: An award-winning app to help teenagers manage or resist the urge to self-harm, using principles from evidence-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Clear Fear
• Move Mood
• Combined Minds
• Worth Warrior
• Youth Mental Health Day
• Parent Mental Health Day

Products and services

• Calm Harm An award-winning mobile app that uses principles from evidence-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help teenagers manage or resist the urge to self-harm. It provides a range of tasks to help users surf the urge to self-harm, including Distract, Comfort, Express, and Release activities, along with breathing exercises, password protection, and self-reflection activities.
• Clear Fear A mobile app to help children and young people manage the symptoms of anxiety using the evidence-based treatment Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It focuses on reducing physical responses to threat through breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness, while also changing thoughts and behaviours, and includes goal-setting, panic management audio, and a 'grit box' for building resilience.
• Move Mood A mobile app to help teenagers manage low mood and depression using Behavioural Activation Therapy (BAT) principles. It encourages users to increase motivation to carry out activities to improve mood, take control, and feel positive, helping break the cycle of low mood and depression.
• Combined Minds A mobile app designed to help families and friends provide mental health support to young people, offering strategies to support those with anxiety and other mental health conditions.
• Worth Warrior A mobile app to help young people manage low self-worth, poor body image, and related early-stage eating difficulties or disorders, supporting body confidence.
• Clear Fear for Schools A digital programme that brings clinically validated anxiety support directly into secondary schools, combining the Clear Fear app with staff-led psychoeducation so students can build skills to manage anxiety before it escalates. Includes self-guided tools for students, whole-school resources for teachers and parents, and anonymous data insights to track trends and measure impact.
• stem4 Schools Programme A partnership programme in which stem4 works with secondary schools to provide educational resources for the learning environment that support a whole school approach to mental health, including PSHE curriculum resources and teacher training materials.
• Customised Apps (App Licensing) App licensing opportunities for organisations to access stem4's clinically developed mental health apps, placing a digital psychologist directly into their hands under white-label or co-branded arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.5 million+ app downloads across five mental health apps
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Movember FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partnerstem4 partners with the Movember Foundation for annual campaigns focused on mental health in boys and young men, including campaign resources and awareness-raising activities.
• Secondary Schools (UK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorstem4 works in partnership with secondary schools to deliver mental health education tools, staff training, and the Clear Fear for Schools programme, supporting a whole-school approach to mental health.
• NHS/CAMHSminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerstem4's resources and apps are positioned as complementary to NHS services, with referral pathways from GPs to CAMHS and stem4's digital tools providing support while young people wait for or alongside professional treatment.
• FFT DatalabminorOthersstem4 cited FFT Datalab's analysis of state school attendance data in its EBSNA research and campaign materials, referencing external research to contextualise its own survey findings on school non-attendance due to mental health.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: UK's largest mental health charity, providing information, support, and advocacy across all ages. Comparable as a broader mental health charity with overlapping awareness campaigns and information resources, though Mind is generalised rather than youth-specific.
• Childline (NSPCC): UK free helpline for children and young people up to 19, run by the NSPCC. Comparable as a major UK youth mental health and support service, providing anonymous 24/7 access, overlapping with stem4's intended use case.
• Headspace Health: Global consumer digital mental health and meditation platform with a B2B channel into employers, health plans, and education. Comparable as a digital mental health app expanding into schools/youth segments, though more generalised and consumer-focused than stem4.

Emerging players

• Wysa: AI-driven mental health chatbot app with a separate youth (Wysa for Teens) product and B2B deployments into health systems and employers. Comparable as an emerging digital mental health platform intersecting with youth mental health and school populations, with a technology-forward approach.
• Togetherall: Anonymous online peer-support mental health community used by universities and employers, with clinical moderation. Comparable as a digital mental health platform serving younger populations through institutional partnerships, though more peer-support than app-based therapy.

Direct peers

• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing in-school counselling and mental health support. Directly comparable as a UK youth mental health charity with a school partnership programme, though Place2Be focuses on in-person counselling rather than digital tools.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, providing resources, helplines, and advocacy. Directly comparable to stem4 as a UK youth mental health charity with awareness and educational programmes, although stem4's digital app portfolio is more differentiated.
• Papyrus: UK charity focused on the prevention of young suicide, providing helplines, training, and resources for teenagers and those supporting them. Comparable as a UK youth mental health charity serving overlapping audiences and school channels.
• Anna Freud Centre: UK charity delivering mental health research, training, and digital tools for children and young people. Comparable as a UK youth mental health organisation developing both clinical resources and digital interventions for schools and families.
• Kooth: Digital mental health platform providing anonymous online counselling and wellbeing support to young people, including UK schools. Directly comparable as a digital-first youth mental health service with a similar B2B/B2C school channel model, though Kooth's model includes live counsellors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stem4org
• Facebookfacebook.com/stem4org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stem4
• Instagraminstagram.com/stem4org
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/stem4org/_saved

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 stem4