From Talking Cure to Texting Cure

Alejandro Foung and Nicholas Letourneau, co-founders of online-therapy provider Lantern, met in 2007 when both were working at Trulia, the online property listing service. Besides a love of cycling, they had something else in common: Both had seen a relative suffer because of inadequately treated mental illness. By the time Foung’s cousin was diagnosed with schizophrenia, his symptoms were so severe that he had to spend long stretches in a residential treatment center. Letourneau’s brother suffered from depression and committed suicide. Foung and Letourneau say better access to mental-health services and earlier intervention could have helped.

The two quit their jobs in early 2013 to start Lantern, which went live in October. The San Francisco-based company offers inexpensive cognitive behavioral therapy via computers and smartphones on a subscription basis. Fees range from $49 a month to $300 a year. “Lantern is a great place to start for people who are looking for help in a way that fits their day,” says Foung, who majored in psychology at Stanford. “The way we deliver the service allows a whole new set of people to access it.” Mayfield Fund led a $4.4 million funding round for the company in July. Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox is an investor and serves as an unofficial adviser.