Give Me 5 Enters India with $5M Investment for Mental Health App

In a significant step toward advancing mental health awareness, prevention and early intervention in India, Australian psychological wellness startup Give Me 5 (GM5) today announced its B2C foray into the Indian market with an initial investment of $5 million AUD and the launch of GM5 Beta App. GM5 has partnered successfully with Indian leads in business to support innovative mental health interventions among Indian schools students, impacting over 5,000 individuals through emotional counselling and wellness programs. This investment in field study success has provided valuable local insights into the mental health challenges faced by Indians, shaping the design and delivery of the new Beta App, which directly seeks to address the cultural stigma around consulting professionals or seeking help by providing a confidential, safe, and user-friendly space. Developed and tested by psychologists, GM5’s approach is impact over scale, the Beta App will initially onboard 500 users providing them with free access.

Founded by Dr. Lisa Fahey OAM and Brendan Fahey in August 2019, Give Me Five has also been working with veterans, schools, non-profits, and care institutions across the USA, Australia, and Canada to deliver practical, evidence-based tools for early psychological wellbeing support. The GM5 app pioneers a new model of care as the first innovative family and network focused psychological wellness app. Seamlessly connecting individuals to their circle of trusted support, family, friends, and professionals, it empowers users to self-track their emotional wellbeing. The app combines proprietary technology, data insights, and evidence-based frameworks to help users build a Personal Safety Plan and set customized goals for their emotional needs. The app is also tailored for psychologists, offering evidence-based screening tools and surveys to facilitate early detection and customized care.

Speaking on the launch, Dr. Lisa Fahey, Founder and CEO of Give Me Five said, “Many Indian families want to support each other emotionally but don’t always know where to start. India today stands at only 0.75 psychiatrists and 0.7 psychologists per 100, 000 population. For most individuals and families, emotional challenges are faced in silence or denial, not because they don’t care, but because help feels inaccessible. This app gives them a simple, stigma-free way to check in and feel supported quietly, before it becomes a crisis. Demand for individual and family support is a real challenge, meaning that warning signs are missed and the opportunities to positively impact on distress is lost. We need to leverage the use of innovative technology incorporating education, activities, alerts and private messaging, to promote a preventative mindset so that all individuals and families have the tools to better understand themselves and each other. The India launch reinforces GM5’s global footprint, spanning Australia, the USA, Brazil, Canada, and now India—regions where the platform has been actively supporting wellness programs, including initiatives with veterans, employees and healthcare communities. Built with emotional intelligence and decades of practice at its core, the app fosters a ‘community of care’, emphasizing the collective role of families, peers and educators in early detection, support and recovery.”

Key features of the app include a simple customized survey tool that screens wellness and psychological needs matched to each person’s goals. Users or Seekers, of all ages can nominate a Companion with self-crafted prompts, the app provides One-Tap SOS contacts for emergencies, end-to-end encryption, plain-language guidance, 24/7 offline access to the individual’s identified supports and a Wellness Safety Plan as a personal support guide. Individuals can access the Beta App by visiting the GM5 website, signing up, and receiving a secure download link via email.

Brendan Fahey, Founder and Chairman of Give Me Five, said, “India is digitally connected, but emotional support still feels out of reach in many homes. Our mission is to create deep, sustainable impact — not large numbers or a quick fix. We’re starting small to build something families can truly trust. By starting with 500 invested users, we aim to refine the app through real experiences, ensuring it becomes a truly trusted companion for psychological safety and education.” 

Dr. Lisa Fahey OAM, Founder and CEO of Give Me Five, brings over three decades of expertise as a distinguished psychologist. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2023 for her services to medicine as a psychologist. Specializing in trauma recovery and behavioral interventions for young people, and recognized as a NDIS Advanced and Specialist Practitioner, Dr. Fahey has ensured that GM5 delivers culturally sensitive, stigma-free psychological health support. Having a deep connection to Hyderabad through childhood with continuity for over 35 years, she brings personal insights and attachments to the local ecosystem, informing GM5’s approach to wellness in India. With this launch, GM5 continues its global mission towards universal mental health coverage, redefining early psychological health screening with predictive analysis and offering an equitable model where self-help, community, and care converge in India.