Bluemind Foundation

What Bluemind Foundation does

Bluemind Foundation is a Togo-based nonprofit organization founded in 2021 that addresses the severe shortage of mental health services in francophone Africa, where there is roughly one therapist per 500,000 inhabitants against a WHO recommendation of 1 per 5,000. Its flagship program, Heal by Hair, certifies professional hairdressers as Mental Health Ambassadors through a three-day, six-module curriculum grounded in the WHO's Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide (mhGAP-GI). Certified ambassadors deliver active listening, early detection of mental health warning signs, and referrals to professionals from their salons, leveraging the cultural trust African women place in their hairdressers (67.3% reportedly confide in them). The foundation operates across six francophone African countries with primary activity in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo, and has trained 921 hairdressers and certified 460 ambassadors, reaching 735,858 women with mental health sensitization cumulatively.

The foundation's portfolio extends beyond Heal by Hair to include the Full Scholarship for African Psychiatrists (FSAP), Coojali (a youth program for ages 12-25), and recurring events such as the Bluemind Festival, Ubunt'Blue Day, Blue'December, and an annual gala. It has built institutional partnerships with the Ministries of Health in Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, the University of Lomé, and 27 supporting organizations, and won the 2026 Africa SABRE Award (Western Africa) for a campaign generating 353 million media impressions. Revenue comes exclusively from donations, corporate partnerships (Bluemind'Corporate), and institutional grants, with Stage 2 funding from the Fund for Innovation in Development supporting a 2025-2027 impact evaluation in Togo. The organization is led by Founder and President Marie-Alix de Putter and operates with 11-50 employees from an effective headquarters in Paris and field operations across West and Central Africa.

Name

Bluemind Foundation

Legal name

Bluemind Foundation

Website

https://bluemindfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bluemind Foundation is a 2021-vintage Togo-based nonprofit that trains hairdressers as Mental Health Ambassadors across francophone Africa to provide mental health first aid and referrals to women, with 921 hairdressers trained and 460 certified to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (62133), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) & Mental Health Programs (BPADAIAK), Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO), Corporate/Workplace Mindfulness & Stress-Reduction Programs (HSADAJAG)

Keywords

• Mental health advocacy
• Community health programs
• Mental health training
• Nonprofit foundation services
• African mental health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Lomé

HQ country

Togo

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Bluemind Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded through donations from individuals, corporations (Bluemind'Corporate program), and institutional funders. The foundation receives Stage 2 funding from the Fund for Innovation in Development for program expansion and impact evaluation in Togo (2025–2027). No commercial revenue is generated from the women served.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bluemind Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that promotes mental health in French-speaking Africa through advocacy, research, education, and signature programs. Its flagship "Heal by Hair" program delivers a 3-day WHO-aligned curriculum that certifies professional hairdressers as Mental Health Ambassadors who then provide active listening, mental health first aid, and referrals to women clients in their salons across Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo. Complementary programs include the Full Scholarship for African Psychiatrists (FSAP), the Coojali Teen Youth Tank, the annual Bluemind Festival, corporate engagement (Bluemind'Corporate), and volunteer mobilization (Bluemind'Bénévoles).

Product overview

Bluemind Foundation operates a portfolio of human-centered mental health programs rather than a software product. The core offering includes Heal by Hair, a hairdresser certification program; Full Scholarship for African Psychiatrists (FSAP); Coojali (Teen Youth Tank); and the Bluemind Festival with associated events (Ubunt'Blue Day, Blue'December, Gala annuel). The foundation also engages corporations through the Bluemind'Corporate program and mobilizes volunteers via Bluemind'Bénévoles. Programs focus on destigmatizing mental health and providing accessible care across six francophone African countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heal by Hair: A training program that trains hairdressers as certified Mental Health Ambassadors to provide mental health support and referrals to women in African communities.
• Full Scholarship For African Psychiatrists (FSAP)
• Coojali
• Bluemind Festival
• Bluemind' Corporate
• Bluemind' Bénévoles
• Ubunt'Blue Day
• Blue'December
• Gala annuel

Products and services

• Heal by Hair A flagship 3-day training program that certifies professional hairdressers as Mental Health Ambassadors, equipping them with active listening, mental health first aid, and referral skills based on the WHO mhGAP guidelines, so they can support women clients in their salons across francophone Africa.
• Full Scholarship for African Psychiatrists (FSAP) A full scholarship program providing financial support for African psychiatrists to pursue advanced training and education in mental health, addressing the continent's shortage of qualified mental health professionals.
• Coojali (Teen Youth Tank) A youth engagement program focused on mental health awareness and support for teenagers and young adults aged 12-25, aligned with the foundation's goal of reaching 10 million young lives (15-25) by 2035.
• Bluemind Festival An annual festival bringing together youth, mental health professionals, and community stakeholders to promote mental health awareness and destigmatization across Africa.
• Ubunt'Blue Day An annual awareness event focused on community engagement and mental health advocacy, named after the Ubuntu philosophy of shared humanity.
• Bluemind'Corporate A corporate partnership program allowing businesses to engage in workplace mental health initiatives, employee sensitization, corporate mental health strategy, and field project support in Africa.
• Bluemind'Bénévoles A volunteer engagement program inviting individuals to join project teams and participate in on-the-ground mental health activities across Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• 212,000 women directly reached through the Heal by Hair campaign (2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ministère de la Santé – TogocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Health in Togo is a key partner in the Heal by Hair initiative, supporting the program rollout in Lomé and enabling larger-scale impact evaluation with Stage 2 funding from the Fund for Innovation in Development (2025–2027).
• Ministère de la Santé – Côte d'IvoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Health in Côte d'Ivoire partners with Bluemind Foundation for the Heal by Hair program, supporting implementation and validating the initiative as part of national mental health outreach efforts.
• Université de LomésupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Lomé (Togo) is listed as a supporter of the Bluemind Foundation, providing academic and institutional backing to the Heal by Hair program and related research activities.
• Various Partner Organizations (27 total including NGOs and government bodies)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Heal by Hair initiative has established partnerships with 27 organizations across Africa, including government ministries and civil society organizations working on mental health, women's empowerment, and public health.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BasicNeeds: International nonprofit working on mental health and epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries, with a strong focus on community mental health. Highly comparable in mission and operating geography (Africa + Asia), with a similar model of building community-based support.
• StrongMinds: US-based nonprofit delivering group talk therapy and mental health treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. Direct peer — operates in the same African mental health nonprofit category with a similar community-based treatment model and emphasis on low-cost, scalable delivery.
• Friendship Bench: Zimbabwe-anchored mental health program that trains community grandmothers as lay mental health workers. Direct peer in the 'task-shifting / community-lay-mental-health' category, also active in Africa with evidence-based outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Partners In Health: Large global health nonprofit with integrated mental health programming in low-income settings (Haiti, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Liberia). Comparable as a broad incumbent delivering community-anchored health services, including mental health, in resource-constrained settings.
• CBM Global Disability Inclusion: Large international disability and mental health inclusion nonprofit with global operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent working on mental health in low-income countries, though with a wider disability-inclusion portfolio.
• World Federation for Mental Health: Global mental health advocacy and awareness organization. Comparable as a peer in global mental health advocacy, awareness campaigns, and World Mental Health Day–style events, though with a more global (vs. African-anchored) footprint.
• Mind (UK mental health charity): Large UK-based mental health nonprofit combining advocacy, information, and services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in mental health awareness and community support, but with a UK-only service footprint and more mature scale.

Regional players

• Sangha Tanzania: Tanzania-based mental health nonprofit working on community mental health and psychosocial support. Comparable as an East African regional peer in community-based mental health delivery, though operating in a different (anglophone) market.
• BasicNeeds Ghana: Ghana-based affiliate of the BasicNeeds model, focused on community mental health and livelihood integration in West Africa. Comparable as a regional West African peer in community-based mental health, with overlapping donor ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Mental Health Innovation Network: WHO-hosted global network promoting community-based mental health innovation in low-resource settings. Comparable as an emerging player curating and scaling innovative community mental health models, with a similar audience of funders and implementers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbluemind
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bluemind.Foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluemind-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluemindfoundation
• Xx.com/Bluemind_Fdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bluemind Foundation