Clayful, a platform catering to students aged eight to 18, facilitates swift connections with mental health experts within 60 seconds of need. The startup recently secured $7 million in funding from investors such as Google Latino Founders Fund, Reach Capital, Ovo Fund, Common Sense Ventures, Charter School Growth Fund, and Wisdom Ventures.
Maria Barrera, CEO of Clayful, expressed the company’s mission to ensure every student has access to a trusted and certified human coach through their devices, whether in their pockets or school devices. The design is centered around meeting students where they are, both online and according to their schedules.
The inspiration for Clayful arose when Barrera observed challenges in the country’s mental health system, particularly after reading a New York Times article on the rising suicide rates among eight-year-olds. Recognizing that schools serve as crucial access points for mental health services, Barrera and her team aimed to bridge the gap exacerbated by the shortage of counselors, who were unable to meet the increasing demand for support.
Despite recommendations from the American School Counselor Association, which suggests one counselor for every 250 students, recent research indicates a ratio of one counselor for every 444 students. Barrera, along with Melissa Pelochino, Chief Experience Officer, both with extensive experience in edtech and education, co-founded Clayful to address this critical issue.
After testing its on-demand, chat-based mental health coaching platform in spring 2022, Clayful has collaborated with over 50 schools, providing support to thousands of students nationwide. The platform’s unique feature is its ability to connect users with mental health experts in just 60 seconds through instant messaging technology, fostering real-time connection and dialogue between students and coaches.
Clayful emphasizes providing on-demand, chat-based support, eschewing in-person coaching to focus on assisting students in real-time as they navigate daily challenges, manage emotions, and solve problems. The platform supports inclusivity by offering services in 133 languages and is entirely free for students, funded by school districts.
According to Clayful, students engaging in more coaching chat programs during the 2022-2023 school year exhibited significantly improved attendance rates. Those with zero chats had an average attendance rate of 91%, while students with chats boasted an average attendance rate of 95%.
As a fully remote company with over 100 staff members, including mental care coaches and part-time staff, Clayful plans to utilize its recent funding to expand its team and extend its reach to more schools and students.
