activist investment platform Tulipshare and medical startup Owkin. Additional participation came from French VC firms Kima Ventures and Raise Ventures.
The Paris-based startup offers users a self-hypnosis tool for to help them face health challenges such as smoking, weight management, and anxiety. Its audio-based program was designed with the help of experts such as hypnotherapy specialist Dr. Laurent Taton, and is tailored to the user's lifestyle.
OneLeaf's program to quit smoking spans 21 days and offers 15-20 minute audio clips with guided self-hypnosis prompts. While other startups like Octopus Ventures-backed Quit Genius and Vice Venture's backed Lucy help people quit smoking, most companies on the market offer products like gum, patches, and breath sensors. Focusing on self-hypnosis as a treatment option makes OneLeaf unique, Cohen-Skalli said, and also positions the startup to grow into other wellness industries.
"By entering an industry right from the start, we don't have many competitors doing it the way we are," he said."The best entry point for investors is to enter a small industry that's growing and then make sure we are at the forefront."