Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia

What Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia does

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) is a registered Australian not-for-profit charity, founded in 1983 in Victoria and headquartered in Melbourne/Fitzroy, that delivers mental health support services to expecting parents, new parents, growing families, fathers and health professionals across Australia. Its core offering is Australia's only National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline (1300 726 306), supplemented by a digital chatbot ("Dot"), an online Mental Health Checklist, an intensive care and counselling program, and a Secondary Consultation Service for clinicians. PANDA also operates the PANDA Learning Hub (online LMS for health professionals), the Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss Support Line (delivered under partnership since 2023), the SMS4dads text-message service for fathers, and resources translated into 40 languages for culturally diverse communities. Community and clinical engagement is channelled through the Community Champions and Clinical Champions networks, plus partnerships with Gidget Foundation Australia, NSW Health and others.

PANDA's technology stack is a digital mental health service platform built around a public website, chatbot, online LMS and telehealth/telephony infrastructure; no AI/ML models, APIs or SDKs are publicly disclosed, and AI depth is limited to an AI-assisted chatbot layer. The organisation is accredited for safety and quality in digital mental health services, is governed by a board led by CEO Julie Borninkhof, and is supported by 11-50 paid staff and 639+ volunteers as of 2021.

The business model is grant-and-donation funded: federal government funding is the primary revenue stream supporting the national helpline and program delivery, with voluntary donations, corporate partnerships and fundraising providing supplementary income. All end-user services are provided free of charge, removing price as a barrier to access; the only monetisation-adjacent surface is professional development and secondary consultation services directed at healthcare providers. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer awareness (website, social media, podcast, newsletter, Perinatal Mental Health Week), community-led outreach (volunteers, lived-experience storytelling) and a sales-led motion into health professional networks through training and consultation.

Name

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia

Legal name

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia

Website

https://panda.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PANDA is an Australian not-for-profit operating Australia's only National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline, providing free counselling, digital tools, health professional training and community programs for expecting and new parents, families and clinicians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Perinatal Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal Mental Health Telehealth (perinatal anxiety/depression, support programs) (HLALAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Perinatal mental health
• Mental health helpline
• Counselling services
• Parent support programs
• Health professional training

Headquarters

HQ city

Fitzroy

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding source from federal government grants to support national helpline operations, program delivery, and service expansion across Australia.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations from individuals and organizations supporting perinatal mental health awareness and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

PANDA operates Australia's only National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline and delivers free mental health support services for expecting and new parents, families, and health professionals. Core offerings include telephone counselling, an AI chatbot (Dot), an online mental health self-assessment checklist, intensive counselling for complex cases, an online learning hub for healthcare providers, and a secondary consultation service for clinicians. Resources are translated into 40 languages and supported by lived-experience Community Champions and Clinical Champions networks.

Product overview

PANDA operates as a not-for-profit organization offering a portfolio of mental health support services for expecting and new parents. The core offering centers on Australia's only National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline (1300 726 306), supplemented by a digital chatbot (Dot) and online mental health checklist for self-assessment. The organization provides intensive care and counselling programs for complex cases, plus specialized services including the Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss Support Line and SMS4dads text messaging service. Healthcare provider support includes the PANDA Learning Hub (online courses) and Secondary Consultation Service. Community engagement programs include Community Champions and Clinical Champions networks. All services are accessible through a website platform with resources available in 40 languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PANDA National Helpline
• PANDA Chatbot (Dot)
• Mental Health Checklist
• Intensive Care and Counselling Program
• PANDA Learning Hub
• Secondary Consultation Service
• Resources in 40 Languages
• Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss Support Line
• Health Care Provider Training
• Survive & Thrive Podcast

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads experience perinatal anxiety and/or depression
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gidget Foundation AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth organizations work in the perinatal mental health space. Gidget Foundation Australia operates Gidget Houses (Perinatal Mental Health Centres) funded by federal government, while PANDA provides national helpline services. Collaboration supports expansion of free counselling services across Australia.
• NSW HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support pregnant women in the justice system through the Pregnant in prison/ReNew pilot program operating in NSW. PANDA delivers mental health support as part of this initiative.
• Advisory Groups and Centres of Research ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPANDA participates in advisory groups and Centres of Research Excellence to pursue collaborative research, improve health outcomes, and translate research into policy and practice.
• Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pink Elephants Pregnancy Loss Helpline is delivered by PANDA, providing targeted mental health counselling and support for families experiencing pregnancy loss or miscarriage.
• SMS4dadsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree text message service designed specifically for dads that sends tips, info and links to support parenting journey. PANDA promotes this service to expecting and new fathers.
• DadspaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner program providing information, strategies, tips, and resources specifically for dads. Developed by Parent Infant Research Institute.
• Prepared Dad ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram referenced for additional dad support resources. PANDA provides links to help dads access this support.
• Dads GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferenced as additional support resource for dads. PANDA provides links to help dads find peer support groups.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gidget Foundation Australia: Australian not-for-profit addressing perinatal mental health, operating Gidget Houses (free perinatal counselling centres) funded by federal government. Directly comparable to PANDA in mission, target population (expecting and new parents), and government-funded service model.
• Postpartum Support International (PSI): US-based not-for-profit dedicated to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, offering helpline, peer support, provider training, and resources. Closely comparable in mission, service mix, and volunteer-led model, though operating in the United States rather than Australia.
• Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE): Australian not-for-profit focused on perinatal mental health, providing clinical guidelines, e-screening tools, and health-professional training. Directly comparable as a national perinatal mental health organisation with overlapping health-professional training and resource library offerings.

Emerging players

• Mahmee: US-based digital maternal health platform offering telehealth, in-person nursing, and educational content across the perinatal journey. Comparable in offering tech-enabled perinatal support to expecting and new parents, but operating in a different geography with a for-profit model.
• Parent Infant Research Institute (SMS4dads): Australian institute operating the SMS4dads text-message support service for new fathers — a PANDA-partnered program. Comparable in perinatal mental health digital service delivery, focused narrowly on the dads' segment PANDA serves through partnership.

Broad incumbents

• Lifeline Australia: Australia's primary 24/7 crisis support line. PANDA itself refers acute users to Lifeline, positioning Lifeline as both a complementary partner and the brand users encounter in moments of highest need — making it a critical peer shaping user retention in the broader mental health funnel.
• Black Dog Institute: Australian medical research institute and clinical service provider focused on mood disorders. Comparable as a government-funded Australian mental health provider with research, clinical, and digital service arms, though broader in scope than PANDA.
• Beyond Blue: Australia's largest mental health not-for-profit, addressing anxiety, depression, and suicide across all populations. PANDA operates in a specialised subset of Beyond Blue's broader scope; the two are commonly cross-referenced in perinatal care pathways and Beyond Blue's scale represents a competitive force in awareness.
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance: US-based coalition of organisations advocating for and supporting maternal mental health. Comparable in mission and policy-advocacy function, operating at a federation level rather than as a single direct-service provider like PANDA.

Regional players

• Tommy's: UK charity funding research and providing information on pregnancy complications including mental health. Comparable in mission (pregnancy and mental health support) and content-led model, but primarily serving the United Kingdom rather than Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PANDAnational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/post-and-antenatal-depression-association

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 Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia