Unmute

What Unmute does

Unmute is a privately held telehealth therapy platform founded in 2020 and headquartered in Boston, with therapy services currently available only to residents physically located in New York state. The company operates a direct-to-consumer teletherapy model that uses an online intake form to match patients with certified therapists, followed by a phone consultation and HIPAA-compliant video sessions. Its core product is a 15-week structured evidence-based therapy program designed to address documented disparities in mental health outcomes for BIPOC communities, where 50% of patients of color drop out after the first session and only 30% of BIPOC who need treatment actually receive it, compared with 49% of white patients.

Unmute's central differentiator is its proprietary CARE (Culturally Affirming Racial Equity) Framework, a clinical training and certification methodology that requires 15+ hours of training per clinician in trauma-informed care, broaching race in therapy, repairing therapeutic ruptures, and intersectional practice. The company is the first teletherapy platform to mandate this level of culturally affirming certification for all clinicians regardless of their own background. Clinical leadership includes psychologists Dr. Doris Chang, Dr. Catherine Eubanks, Dr. Grace Chen, and Dr. Adelya Umanche, who provide ongoing weekly supervision.

The business model combines insurance-billed therapy sessions (in-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Carelon, Oscar, Oxford, Quest Behavioral Health, United Healthcare, UMR, and Northwell) with out-of-pocket sessions starting at $150, reduced to as low as $100 via financial aid. A non-revenue NIMH-funded clinical trial in partnership with NYU's Silver School of Social Work (NCT06625502) supports research into Asian patient-White therapist dynamics. The company has 1-10 employees and has participated in multiple accelerators including On Deck, MassChallenge, McDermott Rise, and Babson's WIN Lab.

Name

Unmute

Legal name

Unmute

Website

https://unmute.today

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unmute is a New York-based teletherapy platform that matches BIPOC patients with clinicians certified in its proprietary CARE Framework, delivering a structured 15-week evidence-based therapy program via insurance-billed and out-of-pocket video sessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Teletherapy Services

akta.pro primary industry

Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG)

Keywords

• Culturally affirming therapy
• Teletherapy platform
• Mental health services
• Therapist matching
• BIPOC mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance-Billed Therapy Sessions: Unmute is in-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Carelon, Oscar, Oxford, Quest Behavioral Health, United Healthcare, UMR, and Northwell. Patients with in-network coverage pay only their deductible or co-pay. For out-of-network PPO/POS plans, patients pay upfront and seek reimbursement from their insurer.
2. Out-of-Pocket Therapy Sessions: Self-pay rate starting at $150 per session, with financial aid available reducing cost to as low as $100 per session for qualifying patients. Revenue is session-based and recurring.
3. Clinical Research Funding: NIMH-funded clinical trial in partnership with NYU's Silver School of Social Work. Participants receive compensation up to $210 for completing surveys and consenting to session recordings. This is grant funding, not commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unmute is a direct-to-consumer teletherapy platform that delivers culturally affirming mental health therapy to BIPOC adults in New York State. It pairs patients with certified therapists trained in its proprietary CARE (Culturally Affirming Racial Equity) Framework, delivers a structured 15-week evidence-based therapy program via HIPAA-compliant video, and bills through in-network insurance plans or out-of-pocket payments. The company also runs an NIMH-funded clinical trial in partnership with NYU's Silver School of Social Work.

Product overview

Unmute is a single, unified teletherapy platform offering culturally affirming mental health care services specifically designed for BIPOC communities. The core product consists of a telehealth platform with therapist matching services, the proprietary CARE Framework (a clinical training and certification program for therapists), and a structured 15-week evidence-based therapy boot camp. The platform integrates therapist certification, patient matching, and therapeutic services under one offering, with an associated clinical trial program conducted in partnership with NYU for research purposes. The company does not operate a modular or platform-plus-components architecture; rather, it provides end-to-end therapy services focused on racial equity and cultural responsiveness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Culturally Affirming Teletherapy Service A telehealth therapy service for BIPOC adults in New York State, delivered via HIPAA-compliant video sessions with therapists certified in the proprietary CARE Framework. Patients complete an online intake form, are matched with a certified therapist, conduct a phone consultation, and begin sessions with co-created treatment plans. Billed through in-network insurance (Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Oscar, Oxford, UHC, and others) or out-of-pocket starting at $150 per session, with financial aid available as low as $100 per session.
• Unmute NIMH-Funded Clinical Trial Program A clinical research program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health in partnership with NYU's Silver School of Social Work, studying culturally affirming teletherapy for Asian patient-White therapist pairs. Participants in the 15-week therapy program contribute to research surveys and consent to session recordings, with compensation up to $210 total. Registered as ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06625502.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of therapists are White, and 1 in 2 patients of color stop therapy after their very first session
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYU Silver School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnmute's clinical trial is led in partnership with NYU's Silver School of Social Work. The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and focuses on dynamics of Asian patient–White therapist pairs. NYU researchers provide academic oversight and the study is registered as ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06625502.
• On DeckminorOthersUnmute participated in On Deck's accelerator program, which supports early-stage companies with mentorship, resources, and community.
• MassChallengeminorOthersUnmute was part of the MassChallenge cohort, a global accelerator program for early-stage startups.
• McDermott RiseminorOthersUnmute participated in McDermott Rise accelerator program supporting startups focused on social impact and healthcare innovation.
• Asian Mental Health ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnmute has a partnership/association with Asian Mental Health Project, an organization focused on Asian mental health awareness and access.
• Connect to SpeakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnect to Speak is listed as a partner organization on Unmute's About page, suggesting a referral or co-marketing relationship focused on mental health access.
• WIN Lab (Babson College)minorOthersUnmute was affiliated with Babson College's WIN Lab (Women's Innovation Lab), which supports women entrepreneurs in building scalable businesses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BetterHelp: Largest direct-to-consumer online therapy platform owned by Teladoc. Comparable to Unmute on B2C telehealth delivery, matching, and subscription-style session billing; differs in scale, marketing reach, and lack of culturally affirming training framework.
• Talkspace: Public B2C teletherapy platform connecting individuals with licensed therapists via video, audio, and text. Directly comparable to Unmute on B2C telehealth therapy delivery model, in-network insurance billing, and self-serve intake flow; differs in serving a broad general population rather than a culturally affirming niche.
• Cerebral: Telehealth platform combining therapy with medication management for anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Comparable on online therapy delivery and subscription-style billing; differs by integrating prescribing and broader condition scope rather than BIPOC-specific cultural focus.
• Alma: Therapist-network platform with an explicit emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion among its clinician panel and matching algorithms. Comparable to Unmute on diverse therapist matching and culturally informed care; serves both insurance and self-pay across multiple states.
• Lyra Health: Enterprise mental health benefits platform providing therapy and coaching to employees via employer-sponsored plans. Comparable to Unmute on telehealth therapy delivery and outcomes focus; differs in B2B2C distribution model and broad demographic target rather than BIPOC-specific niche.
• Octave: Therapy practice offering in-person and virtual sessions with group programs and measurement-based care. Comparable to Unmute on outcomes-driven, structured therapy delivery; differs in hybrid clinic-plus-telehealth model and broader demographic target.
• Spring Health: Employer-sponsored mental health platform offering therapy, coaching, and medication management. Comparable on teletherapy delivery and quality-focused clinical model; differs in employer-led distribution and broader patient population.
• Hurdle: Digital mental health platform (formerly Henry Health) focused on the mental health of Black, Latinx, and other historically excluded communities. Most directly comparable peer to Unmute in BIPOC-focused teletherapy and culturally responsive care positioning.
• Two Chairs: Hybrid in-person and virtual therapy provider operating its own clinics plus telehealth, with a strong matching-based, outcomes-measured care model. Comparable to Unmute on the structured therapy program approach (matching plus defined treatment plan); differs in clinic footprint and geographic concentration in CA/NY/FL.

Emerging players

• Meru Health: Digital mental health program combining therapist-led video sessions with app-based content and biofeedback over a defined 12-week treatment course. Comparable to Unmute on structured time-bounded therapy programs and outcomes focus; differs in technology-heavy delivery model and broader B2B employer channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/unmute.today
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unmute-today
• Instagraminstagram.com/unmute.today

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Unmute