Technology has introduced a new wave of charitable opportunities. It’s never been easier to support organizations that are on a mission to change the world for the better — just look at Facebook, which gives users the opportunity to ask for charity contributions in place of a birthday gift.
Similarly, local startups are focused on how their product or service can make the world a better place. The following companies touch on everything from mental health access to public safety.
Mission: Provide more people with convenient access to licensed therapists who can help those in need live a happier and healthier life.
What they do: While many can agree that therapy is crucial for mental health, it can be costly and time-consuming to find a therapist who’s both nearby and insurance-friendly. Talkspace is a platform that makes it easier to check off all of those boxes. It offers a virtual-based service, allowing users to message their therapists on their own time and without making an appointment.
Mission: Get public opinion on a service or campaign by engaging with populations in real-time and enabling informed action at the speed of conversation.
What they do: Remesh is a platform that brings together different groups of people to participate in candid discussions about a certain topic — usually to help brands create more helpful products and more meaningful campaigns. A moderator leads a conversation with a number of participants, with a goal of uncovering “Truths” that can provide honest, real-time insight into what can improve the lives of a target audience.
Mission: Solve the water crisis and reinvent charity for a new generation.
What they do: Charity: water brings clean and safe drinking water to people in 27 countries in need. To-date, they have helped fund over 35,000 water projects and have raised over $360 million from 1 million donors. It was founded by Scott Harrison in 2006.
Mission: Keep people safe and informed.
What they do: Citizen is an app that alerts users of crimes in real-time. Users input their location and immediately learn of incidents reported to emergency services. Founded in 2015, the startup has raised a total of $13 million to-date and has more than 180,000 active users.
Mission: To establish the link between patients, disease and treatment.
What they do: AiCure's intelligent medical assistant (IMA) monitors patients using a visual recognition platform. It provides pharma and biotech companies with the opportunity to improve health outcomes and increase the likelihood of clinical trial success.
