Manicómio
Manicómio is a Lisbon-based non-profit operating an integrated portfolio of an outsider art gallery, a creative agency, Open Therapy mental health hubs, corporate training programs, and a co-living residence — all built around artists and creatives with mental illness.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Manicómio does
Manicómio is a Portuguese non-profit founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lisbon, operating a multi-project ecosystem that fuses outsider and contemporary art with mental health services and social innovation. Its core portfolio comprises seven interconnected programs: a Studio and Gallery representing 14 resident artists (the first outsider/contemporary art gallery in Portugal); The Agência Manicómio, a creative design and communication agency staffed by creatives with mental illness; Open Therapy (Consultas sem Paredes), a network of three hubs in Beato, MAAT, and Cascais delivering psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy sessions in non-clinical cultural venues at €35 per session; Nós os Loucos, immersive drawing studios in psychiatric units; About the Self, a 47-villa therapeutic co-living project in Alcabideche developed with Bynd Recovery; and two training lines — Humans of Manicómio (corporate mental health and creativity programs) and All Humans (mental health training for professionals working with refugees and asylum seekers).
The underlying operational model is high-touch and human-delivered rather than technology-mediated: therapy is scheduled by email, sessions take place in partner venues (MAAT, Ar.Co, Conde Castro Guimarães Museum, Biblioteca Casa da Horta, Estoril Praia SAD stadium), and the creative methodology is rooted in 20+ years of founder experience in psychiatric hospitals and the Portuguese art world. Manicómio monetizes through a hybrid revenue stack: session fees, art commissions, agency project fees, corporate training contracts, municipal subsidies from Câmara Municipal de Cascais and Junta de Freguesia do Beato, grant co-financing from EU programs (FAMI2030, Portugal Inovação Social, Portugal 2020), and pharmaceutical co-investment (Neuraxpharm, CCPh). Customer segments span individual therapy clients, art collectors, enterprise brand clients (Fidelidade, Arcádia, Viúva Lamego), municipalities, and NGOs supporting refugees.
Go-to-market is community-led, relying on artistic reputation, art-fair presence (including the Outsider Art Fair in New York), social media, and direct corporate outreach for training, with no inside-sales or paid-performance marketing infrastructure.
Manicómio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Manicómio
- Legal name
- Manicómio
- Website
- https://manicomio.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Manicómio is a Lisbon-based non-profit operating an integrated portfolio of an outsider art gallery, a creative agency, Open Therapy mental health hubs, corporate training programs, and a co-living residence — all built around artists and creatives with mental illness.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Manicómio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Arts and Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK)
Keywords
Where Manicómio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Manicómio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Open Therapy Sessions: Mental health consultations (psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy) offered at €35 per session. Sessions are individual, couple, or family-based, integrated into continuous therapeutic processes.
- Art Sales and Gallery: Sales of artwork from resident artists, representing 14 contemporary and outsider artists. Commission-based representation in sales, exhibitions, and collaborations.
- The Agência - Creative Services: Creative design and communication agency services including branding, design, product design, campaigns, consultancy, event design, and communication strategy.
- Humans of Manicómio Training Programs: Corporate training programs in mental health, innovation, and work culture. Includes masterclasses, immersive experiences, programs, and products for employee well-being.
- Consultancy Services: Consultancy and training in mental health, innovation, art, and human rights for organizations and institutions.
- Grant Funding: Funding support from EU programs (FAMI2030 for All Humans project), municipal subsidies, and grant program investors (Neuraxpharm, CCPh) for therapy accessibility.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Therapy Session |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate Training Programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Manicómio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Manicómio operates a multi-project creative ecosystem headquartered in Lisbon that combines an outsider and contemporary art studio/gallery with 14 resident artists, a creative design agency (The Agência), a network of mental health therapy hubs in non-traditional spaces (Open Therapy / Consultas sem Paredes), experimental art workshops inside psychiatric units (Nós os Loucos), therapeutic co-living housing (About the Self), and corporate and refugee-focused training programs (Humans of Manicómio and All Humans).
Product overview
Manicómio is an artistic and creative center in Lisbon that operates as a multi-project ecosystem combining art, creativity, social transformation, and mental health. The organization comprises a Studio and Gallery (the first Outsider and contemporary art gallery in Portugal with 14 resident artists), The Agência Manicómio (a creative design and communication agency), Consultas sem Paredes/Open Therapy (a network of mental health hubs offering sessions in unexpected spaces), Nós os Loucos/We the Mad Ones (art workshops in psychiatric units), About the Self (Portugal's first co-living for people with mental illness experience), and training programs through Humans of Manicómio and All Humans. All projects share a focus on disruption, equity, and human rights, centered around artists and creatives with mental illness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Agência Manicómio: The first creative design and communication agency in the world with creatives with mental illness, specializing in visual communication, branding, design, product design, campaigns, consultancy, event design, and communication strategy.
- Consultas sem Paredes (Open Therapy)
- Nós os Loucos (We the Mad Ones)
- About the Self
- Humans of Manicómio
- All Humans
Products and services
- Studio and Gallery The first studio and gallery of Outsider and contemporary art in Portugal, representing 14 resident artists and offering artistic agency, representation in sales, exhibitions, and collaborations for collectors and art enthusiasts.
- The Agência Manicómio The first creative design and communication agency in the world staffed by creatives with mental illness, providing branding, design, product design, campaigns, consultancy, event design, and communication strategy services to brands and organizations.
- Consultas sem Paredes (Open Therapy) A network of mental health hubs offering psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy sessions in unexpected and artistic spaces such as museums, libraries, parks, and cultural venues, deconstructing the traditional access paradigm to mental health services at €35 per session.
- Nós os Loucos (We the Mad Ones) Experimental and immersive drawing studios in psychiatric units offering art workshops and training in mental health innovation, recovery, and human rights for psychiatric workers, creating artistic creation rooms for people with mental illness experience.
- About the Self The first co-living in Portugal designed for people with experience of mental illness, offering therapeutic housing with 47 individual or shared villas, 24-hour mental health professional support, and recovery-based programming.
- Humans of Manicómio Mental health, innovation, and work culture training programs for organizations, including masterclasses, immersive experiences, and products to support employee well-being, team creativity, and organizational transformation.
- All Humans Mental health training project directed at professionals working with refugees and asylum seekers, featuring workshops, bootcamps, and educational materials on mental health and human rights with national coverage across Portugal.
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 professional artists represented with portfolios and active exhibition schedules
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Manicómio
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Manicómio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Manicómio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ViarcocoreViarco is the famous pencil company from São João da Madeira (the only one on the Iberian Peninsula). They provide art materials for the 'Nós os Loucos' project, running experimental drawing and painting workshops in psychiatric units. Over the past 15 years, Viarco has transformed technical knowledge into creative products with tools and materials for artistic production in graphite.
- Câmara Municipal de LisboacoreLisbon City Council supports Manicómio through various projects and initiatives, providing institutional backing for artistic and mental health programs.
- FidelidademinorFidelidade Foundation supports Manicómio projects, particularly hosting exhibitions at Fidelidade Arte space and supporting the 'Limiar da Trilogia' exhibition.
- MAAT (Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia)coreMAAT serves as an Open Therapy hub location and exhibition space. Manicómio conducts therapy sessions at maat Gallery and maat Central Tejo, and exhibitions including 'Urso' by Anabela Soares.
- No Office WorkminorCo-working space partner supporting Manicómio's headquarters and collaborative environment.
- Ar.Co (Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual)coreAr.Co art school in Beato, Lisbon serves as an Open Therapy hub location. Manicómio conducts therapy sessions at this partner space.
- Conde Castro Guimarães MuseumminorMuseum in Cascais serves as one of the locations for Open Therapy sessions, providing accessible, non-stigmatizing spaces.
- Biblioteca Casa da HortaminorLibrary in Cascais serves as an Open Therapy location, offering mental health services in community spaces.
- VDAminorPartner organization supporting Manicómio projects and initiatives.
- Sair da CascaminorPartner organization contributing to Manicómio's artistic and social projects.
- Bynd RecoveryminorPartnership between Manicómio and Bynd for the Bynd Recovery project - a community of therapeutic residences offering a unique approach in mental health.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Manicómio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Project Art Works: Hastings, UK-based artist-led charity working with neurodivergent artists and people with complex needs, producing exhibitions and commissioning work. Shares Manicómio's combination of artist representation, social advocacy, and external exhibition partnerships.
- Hospitalfield Centre: Scottish arts, residency and heritage organisation in Arbroath with an established track record of artist residencies and community wellbeing programmes. Comparable to Manicómio's combination of studio/gallery residency and social-mission programming.
- The Dax Centre: Melbourne-based museum and gallery that collects and exhibits art made by people with lived experience of mental health issues. Closely aligned with Manicómio's outsider art gallery concept and mental-health advocacy positioning.
- Bethlem Museum of the Mind / Bethlem Gallery: London-based gallery and museum dedicated to art by people with mental health experience, located within the historic Bethlem Royal Hospital site. Directly comparable to Manicómio's studio-and-gallery model, outsider/contemporary art curation, and mental-health advocacy mission.
- Museum van de Geest: Dutch national museum for the history of psychiatry, combining art collections from psychiatric institutions with public programmes. Highly comparable to Manicómio's outsider/contemporary art gallery anchored in psychiatric-hospital heritage.
Broad incumbents
- Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: Portugal's largest arts and culture foundation, operating a major museum, grants, and cultural programmes in Lisbon. A broader incumbent in Portuguese arts/culture that competes for institutional partnerships and donor attention.
- CUF (José de Mello Saúde): Portugal's largest private healthcare provider, operating hospitals, clinics, and outpatient services including mental health. A broader incumbent in Portuguese private mental health delivery that competes for the same mid-market therapy customer as Manicómio's Open Therapy.
- Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar: Lisbon contemporary-art museum dedicated to the legacy of Portuguese artist Júlio Pomar, with a programme of exhibitions and education. Operates in the same Lisbon arts ecosystem as Manicómio's gallery and partnerships with MAAT, Fidelidade Arte, and Museu de São Roque.
Emerging players
- Create London: UK-based arts and social enterprise supporting artists and communities through residencies, exhibitions, and training programmes. Comparable to Manicómio's The Agência creative agency and Humans of Manicómio corporate training arms in combining creative practice with social outcomes.
Regional players
- Hospital de Magalhães Lemos: Public Portuguese psychiatric hospital in Porto providing inpatient and outpatient mental health services. A regional incumbent in mental-health delivery that anchors the supply side of the same Portuguese mental-health ecosystem Manicómio operates within.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Manicómio social profiles
Digital presenceManicómio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Manicómio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Manicómio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Manicómio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Manicómio
What does Manicómio do?
Manicómio operates a multi-project creative ecosystem headquartered in Lisbon that combines an outsider and contemporary art studio/gallery with 14 resident artists, a creative design agency (The Agência), a network of mental health therapy hubs in non-traditional spaces (Open Therapy / Consultas sem Paredes), experimental art workshops inside psychiatric units (Nós os Loucos), therapeutic co-living housing (About the Self), and corporate and refugee-focused training programs (Humans of Manicómio and All Humans).
Is Manicómio a public or private company?
Manicómio is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Manicómio founded?
Manicómio was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Manicómio based?
Manicómio is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Manicómio make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Open Therapy Sessions are the primary driver. The others are art Sales and Gallery, the Agência - Creative Services, humans of Manicómio Training Programs, consultancy Services and grant Funding.
Who are Manicómio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Project Art Works, Hospitalfield Centre, The Dax Centre, Bethlem Museum of the Mind / Bethlem Gallery and Museum van de Geest. Broad incumbents are Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, CUF (José de Mello Saúde) and Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar. Create London is listed as an emerging player. Hospital de Magalhães Lemos is listed as a regional player.
Does Manicómio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Manicómio.
What industry is Manicómio in?
Manicómio's product category is Creative Arts and Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAHAK, Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical). Its NAICS code is 621330 and its SIC code is 8050.