hei lab digital human environment interaction lab

What hei lab digital human environment interaction lab does

HEI-Lab Digital Human-environment Interaction Lab is a transdisciplinary research and development unit of Universidade Lusófona, headquartered in Lisbon with a second site in Porto, founded in 2018. The unit conducts research at the intersection of Psychology, Computer and Information Sciences, and Media and Communications, studying how humans interact with digital, physical, and social environments. Its core technology stack spans psychophysiological data collection, neuroimaging (64-channel EEG, fNIRS hyperscanning), eye-tracking (Tobii T60, X3, Pro Spectrum, Glasses 3), motion capture (Vicon, 20 cameras), virtual and extended reality (Varjo VR-3, XR-4, Vive Pro Eye, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive), serious games, and AI/ML applied to behavioral and clinical data. The lab operates six specialized facilities (Brain.Edge, LabPsiExp, MovLab, LabPsiDev, LabPsiCom, plus neurofeedback and ambulatory units) and three internal research labs (WIN, MC, BS2C).

The unit generates revenue entirely through competitive research grants from public and philanthropic funding agencies — FCT (Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia), the European Commission (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, PRR/NextGenerationEU), BIAL Foundation, and La Caixa Foundation — with cumulative funding exceeding \u20ac25M since 2018 and over \u20ac7M directly allocated to HEI-Lab. It does not charge for its research services and operates a community-led go-to-market, engaging policymakers, healthcare providers, and academic collaborators through research collaborations, conferences (CYPSY29, ICDVRAT, ESRII), training programmes (Erasmus Mundus CYBER, RE_PLAY, PhD programme), and policy advisory work. Named anchor partners include the World Health Organization (HBSC study coordination), Portuguese Dire\u00e7\u00e3o-Geral da Sa\u00fade, Lisbon Psychiatric Hospital Center, APPACDM, Alcoit\u00e3o Rehabilitation Center, NYU, and Interactive Media Institute.

HEI-Lab has produced 437 peer-reviewed publications since 2018 and achieved the highest evaluation score (4.8/5) among all psychology research centres in Portugal in the 2025 FCT assessment, earning the "Excellent" classification. Recent strategic infrastructure investments include PRR funding of \u20ac415,347.54 (UID/PRR/05380/2025) and EQUIPAR 2+ funding of \u20ac464,977.61 (UID/PRR2/05380/2025) for advanced VR/XR, EEG, motion capture, and high-performance computing. Current leadership comprises Director Pedro Gamito (recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation), Executive Director Raquel Costa, Science Manager Helga Miguel, and a seven-member Board of Directors.

Name

hei lab digital human environment interaction lab

Legal name

HEI-Lab Digital Human-environment Interaction Lab

Website

https://hei-lab.ulusofona.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEI-Lab is a transdisciplinary R&D unit of Universidade Lusófona (Portugal) that studies human-environment interaction across psychology, computer science, and media communications using VR, EEG, neuroimaging, motion capture, and AI, serving policymakers, healthcare providers, and academic collaborators through grant-funded research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Behavioral Science Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Labs, Simulations & Virtual Practicals (Non-XR) (EDAFACAF)

Keywords

• Human-environment interaction
• Virtual reality therapy
• Neuroimaging research
• Transdisciplinary psychology
• Digital health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: HEI-Lab generates revenue through competitive research grants from national and international funding agencies including FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia), European Commission, BIAL Foundation, La Caixa Foundation, and Horizon Europe. They also receive institutional funding from Universidade Lusófona.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HEI-Lab conducts transdisciplinary research on human-environment interaction by combining Psychology, Computer and Information Sciences, and Media and Communications. It applies VR/XR, EEG/fNIRS neuroimaging, eye-tracking, motion capture, and AI to deliver applied research, graduate training programmes, and technology-transfer partnerships with healthcare, government, and education organisations focused on vulnerable populations, mental health, and digital transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CYBER Master Programme: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Cyberspace Behaviour and E-therapy
• RE_PLAY
• WIN Lab
• MC Lab
• BS2C Lab

Products and services

• CYBER Master Programme (Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Cyberspace Behaviour and E-therapy) Erasmus Mundus Joint Master degree focused on cyberspace behaviour and e-therapy, offered by HEI-Lab within Universidade Lusófona for graduate students.
• RE_PLAY — European Master in Games (Games for Health) European Master programme on serious games and games for health, delivered as part of HEI-Lab's training portfolio.
• HEI-Lab PhD Programme Doctoral research programme hosted by HEI-Lab covering Psychology, Computer and Information Sciences, and Media and Communications.
• HEI-Lab Short-Term Schools Short-term intensive training schools and workshops offered by HEI-Lab in cyberpsychology, clinical psychology, and related disciplines.
• HEI-Lab Training Programme (Master programmes in Cybertherapy, Sexology, Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology) Specialised Master programmes in Cybertherapy, Sexology, Forensic Psychology, and Clinical Psychology run by HEI-Lab.
• SPIC — Support, Research, Innovation and Community programme Community outreach programme promoting psychological health and wellbeing in the educational community and partner network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 437 papers published since 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and internal.

• Universidade LusófonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEI-Lab is an R&D unit of Universidade Lusófona, operating from both Lisbon and Porto campuses with full institutional support.
• Lisbon Psychiatric Hospital CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEI-Lab reactivated the cognitive-behavioral therapy unit at Júlio de Matos Hospital for VR-based patient treatment
• APPACDM LisbonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDown Syndrome Aging with Health project and PlayersAll game development collaboration for patients with disabilities
• Portuguese Psychologists AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of VR application for ethical decision-making training in junior psychologists
• Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy collaboration including Mental Health Awareness Campaign, WHO HBSC study coordination, and Behavioral Sciences in Health framework development
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination of HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) international study contributing to global health policies
• Interactive Media InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaborator for CYPSY29 - 29th Annual CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference
• Université du Québec en OutaouaismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on CYPSY29 conference and ongoing research partnerships in cyberpsychology and VR therapy
• New York UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on climate action research comparing interventions to promote collective action against climate change
• WIN Lab (Wellbeing and Interactivity Nexus Lab)internalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal research lab focusing on multimedia and human processes, interaction design and AI applications
• MC Lab (Mental Health and Clinical Sciences Lab)internalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal research lab investigating mental health, developmental risks and pathways of psychopathology across lifespan
• BS2C Lab (Behavior and Social Change in Context Lab)internalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal research lab dedicated to understanding and driving social and behavioral change in environmental, educational, forensic, and cultural settings

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Université du Québec en Outaouais: Canadian university partner of HEI-Lab with active cyberpsychology and VR therapy research collaborations. Direct peer due to shared CYPSY29 conference co-organisation and overlapping academic research agenda.
• Pompeu Fabra University – Cognitive NeuroLab: Barcelona-based research group studying cognitive and affective neuroscience using VR, EEG, and behavioural methods. Direct peer given overlapping VR-neuroscience methodology and Iberian-European research positioning.
• USC Institute for Creative Technologies (Skip Rizzo Lab): Albert "Skip" Rizzo, on HEI-Lab's Advisory Board, leads ICT's medical VR research program focused on clinical VR, exposure therapy, and virtual humans for healthcare. Direct peer given shared VR-for-clinical-applications research domain and personal advisory ties.
• Virtually Better: Research-driven company developing VR exposure therapy products from academic origins at Emory University. Direct peer due to shared VR-for-clinical-and-research-application focus and similar academic-to-applied positioning.
• Interactive Media Institute: San Diego-based non-profit research organisation co-organising CYPSY29 with HEI-Lab and conducting cyberpsychology, VR therapy, and clinical VR research. Direct peer because of shared conference leadership, overlapping research domains, and existing formal collaboration.
• Virtual Reality Medical Center: US clinical research organisation that pioneered VR exposure therapy for PTSD, anxiety, and pain. Direct peer because of parallel focus on applying VR/immersive technology to clinical psychological assessment and treatment research.

Emerging players

• Rescape Innovation (formerly Oxford VR): UK-based company spun out of Oxford University psychology research, commercialising VR for mental health treatment. Emerging player due to its academic-research-to-commercial pathway that mirrors HEI-Lab's applied VR therapy work.
• AppliedVR: US-based commercial vendor of VR therapeutics (EaseVRx, RelieVRx) for chronic pain and behavioural health. Emerging player relative to HEI-Lab because it commercialises VR-based interventions while HEI-Lab conducts upstream research on similar clinical applications.
• BehaVR: US-based digital therapeutics company building VR programmes for mental health, chronic pain, and maternal health. Emerging player because it occupies the commercialisation layer adjacent to HEI-Lab's research domain.

Broad incumbents

• Karolinska Institutet – Department of Clinical Neuroscience: Large Swedish medical university with broad research portfolios in clinical neuroscience, mental health, and digital interventions. Broad incumbent because it is a much larger research institution operating across HEI-Lab's niche plus adjacent domains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hei-lab, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF3... (referenced in Social HEImpact page)
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hei-lab-digital-human-environment-interaction-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about hei lab digital human environment interaction lab