The terms “sober curious” and “mindful drinking” have gained popularity recently, reflecting a growing trend of 47% of U.S. adults wanting to reduce their alcohol intake. Today, Sunnyside, an app focused on promoting healthy drinking habits, announced securing $11.5 million in Series A funding led by Motley Fool Ventures, with significant participation from Will Ventures. This funding will facilitate the launch of Sunnyside’s new AI mindful drinking coach, named “Sunny,” designed to provide recommended responses for Sunnyside’s human coaching team.
Key participants in this funding round include Uncork Capital, Offline Ventures, Joyance Partners, Wisdom Ventures, Eudemian Ventures, Adjacent, Scribble Ventures, Cooley LLP, and MyFitnessPal founder Michael Lee. Sunnyside has raised a total of $14.6 million to date.
Simultaneously, Sunnyside announced the appointment of Steve Lloyd as Chief Product and Technology Officer. Lloyd, who previously held the same role at the fitness app Strava, shared his personal experience using Sunnyside to manage his drinking habits and expressed enthusiasm for contributing his technology and wellness expertise to the company.
Sunnyside’s app, priced at $99 per year, offers features like daily drink tracking, SMS reminders, personalized coaching, and a community chat for members to share their challenges and successes. The app’s analytics dashboard calculates saved money and calories, while challenges such as a 30-day alcohol reset encourage accountability. For $298 annually, a premium subscription offers weekly Zoom check-ins with coaches and faster response times, and a free 15-day trial is available.
The newly introduced AI coach, Sunny, aims to support human coaches by generating recommendations for members. For instance, if a member plans to limit alcohol consumption at a party, Sunny provides tips on adhering to that goal. The AI-generated suggestions are reviewed by human coaches before being sent as SMS, emphasizing the synergy between technology and human support.
Sunnyside’s CEO and co-founder, Nick Allen, highlighted the company’s commitment to combining AI with human coaching to enhance effectiveness and provide personalized support. The AI, built on ChatGPT, leverages Sunnyside’s dataset on members’ drinking patterns and behavior changes.
Sunnyside’s coaching team comprises around 20 coaches, selected from successful, longtime members who undergo a coaching certification program in partnership with a licensed counselor. While these coaches offer peer support, Sunnyside emphasizes they are not licensed counselors or therapists.
Founded by Allen and Ian Andersen in response to the need for alternatives to sobriety-focused programs, Sunnyside aims to catalyze the mindful drinking movement and differentiate itself from existing alcohol health services. Allen and Andersen’s personal experiences with alcoholism drive their mission to create a brand that resonates with those seeking to transform their relationship with alcohol.
Since its launch in 2020, Sunnyside claims to have assisted over 200,000 people in eliminating 13.5 million drinks. Despite a surge in alcohol use during the pandemic, Sunnyside members reportedly reduced their drinking by an average of 32%, eliminating 1,500 calories and saving over $50 in the first month after signing up.
Sunnyside’s app is available for download on the Apple Store.
