happier (formerly 10% happier)
Happier is a Boston-based consumer meditation app founded in 2015 by Dan Harris, offering a freemium library of 500+ guided meditations, courses, and 1:1 coaching targeted at skeptical, meditation-curious adults in the broader wellness market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What happier (formerly 10% happier) does
Happier (formerly Ten Percent Happier) is a digital mindfulness platform operating as a consumer meditation app, founded in 2015 in Boston, MA, by former ABC News anchor Dan Harris, Derek Haswell, and Ben Rubin of Change Collective. The company targets meditation-curious but skeptical adults, positioning itself as a practical, teacher-led alternative to more spiritually framed competitors. Its product surface centers on the Happier Meditation App, which delivers 500+ guided meditations, 30+ structured courses, short-form 'Shorts,' sleep meditations, podcasts, and 1:1 coaching services, including flagship IP such as the 'Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness' course and the 'Imperfect Meditation Challenge.'
The underlying platform combines a content library with a personalized recommendation engine that adapts to user check-ins, integrates with Apple Health for biometric context, and is delivered via native iOS and Android apps with Stripe-handled subscription billing. The technology footprint is conventional consumer-app architecture; differentiation is driven by editorial curation and a senior teacher faculty (Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Jeff Warren) rather than proprietary AI or platform tooling.
Happier operates a freemium consumer model with a paid annual subscription priced at $99.99, supplemented by a coaching marketplace that takes a 20% platform fee on sessions, gift subscriptions, and an emerging corporate/enterprise channel. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the Apple App Store and Google Play, with content extensions (the 'Ten Percent Happier Podcast,' New York Times bestselling books) functioning as top-of-funnel acquisition assets. The company has not disclosed any external funding rounds, suggesting a bootstrapped or closely-held capital structure.
happier (formerly 10% happier) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- happier (formerly 10% happier)
- Legal name
- Happier Meditation, Inc.
- Website
- https://10percenthappier.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Happier is a Boston-based consumer meditation app founded in 2015 by Dan Harris, offering a freemium library of 500+ guided meditations, courses, and 1:1 coaching targeted at skeptical, meditation-curious adults in the broader wellness market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
happier (formerly 10% happier) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mindfulness and Meditation Mobile App
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Mindfulness, Meditation & Stress Management Education (EDAAAHAD)
Keywords
Where happier (formerly 10% happier) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
happier (formerly 10% happier) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- App Subscription: Annual subscription at $99.99 USD/year provides full access to the app's library of 500+ guided meditations, mindfulness courses, talks, videos, and shorts. The app uses a freemium model where free users get limited content (3 courses, 50+ guided meditations) with full access gated behind subscription.
- Coaching Services: Platform facilitates 1-on-1 coaching sessions, coaching subscriptions, and group coaching. Happier Meditation charges coaches a 20% platform fee on gross revenues. Session prices are set by coaches themselves.
- Gifting: Users can purchase and gift Happier Meditation subscriptions to others, with the ability to redeem gifts. This creates an additional transaction-based revenue stream.
- Corporate/Enterprise Subscriptions: The platform offers coaching services and subscription tiers that could be extended to corporate wellness programs. Terms reference coaching subscriptions and group coaching as distinct offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - Full Access |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Imperfect Meditation Challenge (Free) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
happier (formerly 10% happier) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Happier Meditation sells a personalized meditation and mindfulness mobile application on iOS and Android, offering a library of 500+ guided meditations, 30+ structured courses, short-form videos, and podcasts. Users access the app via a freemium model: free tier provides 3 courses and 50+ guided meditations, while a $99.99/year annual subscription unlocks the full content library along with personalized daily recommendations and 1-on-1 or group coaching sessions with vetted independent teachers.
Product overview
Happier Meditation (formerly Ten Percent Happier) is a personalized meditation and mindfulness platform built around a mobile application available on iOS and Android. The core product is the Happier Meditation App, which provides access to a library of 500+ guided meditations, 30+ meditation courses, Shorts (video content including Practice In Action videos, Wisdom Clips, and Teacher Talks), and three podcasts (Twenty Percent Happier Meditation, Childproof, and More Than a Feeling). Users can also subscribe to the free Happier Meditation Weekly newsletter for ongoing content. The platform offers tiered access: a free tier with select courses and 50+ meditations, and a paid subscription ($99.99/year) unlocking the full library plus 1-on-1 and group coaching services. Notable offerings include The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness (free course) and the Imperfect Meditation Challenge (free 14-day program).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ten Percent Happier (now rebranded): Former brand name of the meditation app, now operating as Happier Meditation
- Change Collective
- Imperfect Meditation Challenge
- Twenty Percent Happier Meditation
- Childproof
- More Than a Feeling
- Happier Meditation Weekly
Products and services
- Happier Meditation App A personalized meditation and mindfulness mobile application available on iOS and Android that offers a library of 500+ guided meditations, 30+ structured courses, short-form video content, podcasts, and daily recommendations tailored to each user through monthly check-ins. Sold to individual consumers via a freemium model with a $99.99/year annual subscription.
- Guided Meditations Standalone collection of audio-guided meditation sessions led by experienced teachers, ranging from 5 to 90 minutes, covering breathing, sound meditation, open awareness, body scan, walking meditation, loving-kindness, and concentration practices.
- Meditation Courses Step-by-step structured courses teaching the how and why of mindfulness meditation, including beginner courses (Unlearn to Meditate, Common Questions, Essential Advice) and specialized courses (Taming Anxiety, Focus, Relationships, Mindful Eating). Library of 30+ full courses.
- Podcasts Original podcast series featuring meditation teachers and discussions on mindfulness, including Twenty Percent Happier Meditation, Childproof, and More Than a Feeling, available within the Shorts section of the app and through external podcast platforms.
- Coaching Services One-on-one and group mindfulness coaching sessions facilitated through the Happier platform, connecting users with vetted independent meditation coaches for personalized guidance. Coaches set their own session prices; Happier charges a 20% platform fee on gross revenues.
- Imperfect Meditation Challenge A free 14-day meditation journey designed to help users shed perfection pressure and deprogram shame, featuring daily videos and audio meditations from teachers Matthew Hepburn, Dawn Mauricio, and Cara Lai.
- The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness A free 10-day course featuring Dan Harris, the Dalai Lama, neuroscientist Richie Davidson, and Roshi Joan Halifax, blending ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science on cultivating happiness.
- Happier Meditation Weekly Newsletter A free weekly newsletter featuring essays on happiness, meditation, and updates on new content and events, serving as a top-of-funnel acquisition and retention tool.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2.4 million meditation listens recorded in 2021 during pandemic response
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use happier (formerly 10% happier)
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
happier (formerly 10% happier) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
happier (formerly 10% happier) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- The Dalai LamaflagshipIn 2023, Happier Meditation partnered with the Dalai Lama to launch the free course 'The Dalai Lama's Guide to Happiness.' The course featured Dan Harris, the Dalai Lama, neuroscientist Richie Davidson, and meditation expert Roshi Joan Halifax, blending ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science. The course reached 144,491 meditators.
- Dan HarriscoreCo-founded by news anchor Dan Harris, author of the book '10% Happier.' Harris brought his media profile and personal brand to the partnership, relaunching the app as Ten Percent Happier (now Happier Meditation) in 2015 with co-founders Derek Haswell and Ben Rubin of Change Collective.
- Change Collective (Derek Haswell and Ben Rubin)coreDerek Haswell and Ben Rubin, co-founders of Change Collective, partnered with Dan Harris in 2015 to relaunch their self-improvement app as Ten Percent Happier. Change Collective serves as the parent company/operational entity behind the Happier Meditation platform.
- Stripe, Inc.coreStripe serves as the third-party payment provider for the platform, handling card acceptance, merchant settlement, and related payment services. Users agree to be bound by Stripe's Privacy Policy for payment transactions.
- Apple (App Store)corePrimary distribution channel for the iOS mobile app. The app is available on the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch. Subject to Apple's Usage Rules and App Store Terms of Service.
- Google (Play Store)corePrimary distribution channel for the Android mobile app. Available on Google Play Store. Subject to Google Play Terms of Service. Google has no obligation or liability with respect to the app.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
happier (formerly 10% happier) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Oak: Oak is a smaller meditation app offering guided and unguided timed sessions with a simpler, less content-heavy product. It targets similar individual meditators but with a minimalist approach, making it a partial competitor on the simple-practice end of the spectrum.
- Smiling Mind: Smiling Mind is a nonprofit mindfulness app originally focused on education and youth, now expanding into adults and workplaces. It overlaps with Happier Meditation's individual and corporate segments with a comparable freemium model, particularly in Australia/Asia-Pacific.
Broad incumbents
- BetterHelp: BetterHelp is a large online therapy marketplace connecting users to licensed mental health professionals via subscription. It is broader than Happier Meditation's coaching but overlaps on the 1-on-1 professional support for stress and mental wellbeing use case.
Direct peers
- Calm: Calm is the category-leading meditation and sleep app with a subscription model, celebrity-narrated content (Sleep Stories), and a similar freemium structure. It directly competes with Happier Meditation for the same individual consumer segment with comparable guided meditation libraries and pricing.
- Headspace: Headspace is a direct meditation and mindfulness app competitor with comparable course-based content, freemium pricing, and strong employer/B2B wellness presence. It targets the same beginner-to-intermediate consumer audience with similar meditation and stress-management offerings.
- Balance: Balance is a personalized meditation app that uses onboarding and progress data to tailor session recommendations, very similar to Happier Meditation's monthly check-in personalization engine. It competes on the same AI-driven adaptive experience for individual meditators.
- Waking Up: Waking Up is a subscription meditation app founded by Sam Harris, positioning itself around experienced teachers and a more secular, intellectual approach to mindfulness — directly mirroring Happier Meditation's premium teacher faculty and skeptical-but-serious positioning.
- Insight Timer: Insight Timer is a large free meditation app with a marketplace model connecting users to teachers, very similar to Happier Meditation's coaching marketplace layer. It competes on library depth, teacher diversity, and free-tier generosity.
- Simple Habit: Simple Habit is a subscription meditation app offering short, on-the-go guided sessions from notable teachers. It competes with Happier Meditation for time-constrained, beginner-to-intermediate consumers seeking accessibility and brevity.
- Breethe: Breethe is a meditation and wellness app offering guided meditations, sleep content, and coaching — directly comparable to Happier Meditation's blend of app content plus coach matching for individual subscribers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
happier (formerly 10% happier) social profiles
Digital presencehappier (formerly 10% happier) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
happier (formerly 10% happier) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
happier (formerly 10% happier) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
happier (formerly 10% happier) 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 happier (formerly 10% happier)
What does happier (formerly 10% happier) do?
Happier Meditation sells a personalized meditation and mindfulness mobile application on iOS and Android, offering a library of 500+ guided meditations, 30+ structured courses, short-form videos, and podcasts. Users access the app via a freemium model: free tier provides 3 courses and 50+ guided meditations, while a $99.99/year annual subscription unlocks the full content library along with personalized daily recommendations and 1-on-1 or group coaching sessions with vetted independent teachers.
Is happier (formerly 10% happier) a public or private company?
happier (formerly 10% happier) is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was happier (formerly 10% happier) founded?
happier (formerly 10% happier) was founded in 2015.
Where is happier (formerly 10% happier) based?
happier (formerly 10% happier) is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does happier (formerly 10% happier) make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. App Subscription is the primary driver. The others are coaching Services, gifting and corporate/Enterprise Subscriptions.
Who are happier (formerly 10% happier)'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Oak and Smiling Mind. BetterHelp is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Calm, Headspace, Balance, Waking Up, Insight Timer, Simple Habit and Breethe.
Does happier (formerly 10% happier) have an API?
No public API is recorded for happier (formerly 10% happier).
What industry is happier (formerly 10% happier) in?
happier (formerly 10% happier)'s product category is Mindfulness and Meditation Mobile App. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAJAH, Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities, with a secondary code of HSADAJAA, Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group). Its SIC code is 7372.