Regensburg-based medtech firm Brainjo, which develops virtual reality–based digital therapeutics for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, has secured €2 million in seed funding led by High-Tech Gründerfonds, with participation from angel investors Andreas Weinhut and better ventures.
- Founded in 2022 by Markus Wensauer and Christian Gnerlich, Brainjo develops virtual reality–based digital therapeutics for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, with an initial focus on ADHD in children.
- The firm creates immersive VR applications that translate evidence-based psychotherapy methods into interactive, gamified training environments designed to improve engagement and treatment adherence.
- It works by placing users in structured virtual scenarios where they can practice cognitive and behavioral skills in a controlled, guided way, often supported by reward systems to maintain motivation. The aim is to make therapy more accessible and scalable, particularly in settings where traditional psychotherapy capacity is limited.
- The company is also developing its products toward regulatory approval as DiGA (Digital Health Applications) in Germany, which would allow prescription by doctors and reimbursement through statutory health insurance. Its broader pipeline includes VR-based therapies targeting conditions such as phobias, depression, chronic pain, and cognitive decline.
Details of the deal
- The fresh capital will be used by the firm to fund clinical studies and advance the regulatory approval process for its VR-based digital therapeutic, with the goal of obtaining DiGA status in Germany. This will help validate the effectiveness of its immersive therapy for children with ADHD and enable prescription by doctors as well as reimbursement through health insurance.
“What differentiates brainjo from purely software-based solutions is the depth of immersion enabled by Virtual Reality, a clinically relevant approach that we will substantiate with study data and use to improve adherence,” says Dr Jörg Traub, principal at HTGF.
