Deliberate AI: Company Profile

Background

Overview

Deliberate AI is a digital health technology company founded in 2020, headquartered in New York, NY, with an additional office in San Francisco, CA. The company specializes in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance mental health assessments, clinical trials, and patient monitoring. By analyzing multimodal data—including vocal acoustics, facial expressions, speech behaviors, and physiological signs—Deliberate AI aims to provide objective, data-driven insights into mental and neurological health.

Mission and Vision

Deliberate AI's mission is to revolutionize mental healthcare by integrating advanced AI technologies to deliver precise, real-time assessments and monitoring tools. The company's vision is to create a future where mental health care is proactive, personalized, and profoundly effective, ultimately improving patient outcomes and accelerating the development of new treatments.

Industry Significance

Operating within the digital health and AI sectors, Deliberate AI addresses critical challenges in mental health care, such as the need for objective assessments and efficient clinical trials. The company's innovative approach has garnered recognition, including inclusion in the FDA's Innovative Science and Technology Approaches for New Drugs (ISTAND) Pilot Program, marking a significant milestone in integrating AI into mental health treatment development.

Key Strategic Focus

Core Objectives

• Enhancing Clinical Trials: Utilize AI to improve the reliability and efficiency of clinical trials by providing objective measurements of mental health conditions.

• Advancing Patient Monitoring: Develop tools for continuous, real-time monitoring of patients to inform treatment decisions and improve outcomes.

• Facilitating Precision Therapy: Enable personalized treatment plans through precise, data-driven insights into individual patient profiles.

Areas of Specialization

• Multimodal Data Analysis: Integrating various data types, including vocal, visual, and physiological signals, to assess mental and neurological health.

• AI-Driven Clinical Outcome Assessments (AI-COAs): Creating objective, automated tools for measuring treatment effects and disease progression.

• Digital Health Assistants: Developing AI-powered platforms, such as Sophia™, to support patient engagement and data collection.

Key Technologies Utilized

• Behavioral Signal Processing: Analyzing speech, facial expressions, and physiological data to extract meaningful health indicators.

• Machine Learning Algorithms: Employing advanced algorithms to interpret complex datasets and generate predictive models.

• Multimodal Integration: Combining diverse data sources to provide comprehensive assessments of mental health.

Primary Markets Targeted

• Mental Health Care Providers: Hospitals, clinics, and private practices seeking objective assessment tools.

• Clinical Research Organizations: Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies conducting mental health studies.

• Regulatory Bodies: Agencies like the FDA interested in innovative approaches to drug development and evaluation.

Financials and Funding

Funding History

Deliberate AI has secured funding through various channels, including grants from the FDA, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In April 2025, the company received a merger and acquisition (M&A) offer, indicating potential strategic growth opportunities.

Total Funds Raised

The company has raised over $20 million in funding, supporting its research and development initiatives.

Recent Funding Rounds

• M&A Offer (April 2025): An undisclosed offer indicating potential strategic growth opportunities.

Notable Investors

Investors include One Mind Accelerator, Ulu Ventures, and PharmStars, reflecting confidence in Deliberate AI's innovative approach to mental health care.

Utilization of Capital

The capital has been allocated towards advancing AI-driven mental health assessment tools, expanding research collaborations, and enhancing product development to meet the needs of healthcare providers and researchers.

Pipeline Development

Key Pipeline Candidates

• AI-COA™ (AI-Generated Clinical Outcome Assessment): A tool for assessing anxiety and depression, currently in the FDA's ISTAND Pilot Program.

• Sophia™: A digital health assistant designed to support patient engagement and data collection.

Stages of Development

• AI-COA™: Inclusion in the FDA's ISTAND Pilot Program signifies advanced development and validation.

• Sophia™: Ongoing development with plans for deployment in clinical settings.

Target Conditions

• AI-COA™: Depression and anxiety disorders.

• Sophia™: Broad application across various mental health conditions.

Anticipated Milestones

• AI-COA™: Achieving qualification as a drug development tool (DDT) under the FDA's program.

• Sophia™: Integration into clinical workflows to enhance patient monitoring and engagement.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Proprietary Technologies

• AI-COA™: An AI-driven assessment tool for mental health conditions, recognized by the FDA.

• Sophia™: A digital health assistant utilizing AI to support patient interactions and data collection.

Significant Scientific Methods

• Multimodal Behavioral Signal Processing: Analyzing diverse data types to assess mental health objectively.

• Machine Learning Algorithms: Developing predictive models for mental health conditions.

AI-Driven Capabilities

• Real-Time Data Analysis: Providing immediate insights into patient conditions.

• Automated Monitoring: Reducing the burden on healthcare providers through continuous, automated assessments.

Leadership Team

Key Executives

• Marc Aafjes: Founder & CEO, leading the company's strategic vision and growth. Experienced in healthcare technology, with a focus on mental health innovations. Spearheaded the development of AI-COA™ and secured FDA recognition.

• Jeffrey Cohn: Chief Technology Officer, overseeing technological development and innovation. Background in AI and machine learning, specializing in healthcare applications. Led the integration of advanced AI technologies into Deliberate AI's products.

• Alexandria K. Vail: Chief Clinical Officer, guiding clinical strategy and partnerships. Clinical expertise in psychiatry and neuroscience, with a focus on digital health solutions. Established clinical protocols for AI-driven mental health assessments.

• Chayim Rosensweig: Chief Operations Officer, managing day-to-day operations and organizational efficiency. Experience in operations management in healthcare startups, emphasizing scalability and efficiency. Streamlined operational processes to support rapid growth and product deployment.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The digital health sector, particularly in mental health, is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing adoption of AI technologies. The market is characterized by a demand for objective assessment tools and efficient clinical trial methodologies.

Competitor Analysis

• Ellipsis Health: Provides health case management solutions using machine learning within the healthcare sector.

• BlueSkeye AI: Focuses on advanced emotional intelligence technology within the healthcare, automotive, and social robotics sectors.

• Kintsugi: Offers an application programming interface (API)-first platform that uses voice biomarker technology to identify and prioritize mental health challenges.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

Deliberate AI has engaged in collaborations with leading medical institutions and received recognition from the FDA, enhancing its credibility and market position.

Operational Insights

Deliberate AI differentiates itself through its comprehensive approach to mental health assessment, integrating multimodal data analysis with AI-driven tools. This positions the company to effectively compete in the growing digital health market.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

The company aims to expand its product offerings, enhance AI capabilities, and establish additional partnerships to further integrate its solutions into clinical workflows, thereby improving patient care and accelerating treatment development.