What is the name of your organization?
oVRcome
What is the name of your solution?
oVRcome
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
oVRcome delivers VR therapy via smartphone to make clinical-quality mental health support accessible, affordable, and stigma-free.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Christchurch, New Zealand
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
New Zealand
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Imagine a world where 4 out of 5 people with anxiety disorders can't get help. That's our reality. Globally, 284 million people suffer from anxiety disorders, with over 80% receiving no treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the treatment gap exceeds 90%.
This mental health crisis has tangible consequences. Untreated anxiety costs the global economy $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. In LMICs, mental health receives less than 2% of healthcare budgets despite representing over 10% of the disease burden.
Anxiety typically begins in adolescence but takes 11+ years before treatment is sought. Left untreated, it cascades into educational failure, unemployment, depression, substance abuse, and increased suicide risk—with the most vulnerable communities bearing the heaviest burden.
Traditional barriers to treatment are prohibitive:
- Specialist care is expensive ($150-300 per session)
- Rural and underserved areas face severe provider shortages (WHO estimates a deficit of 1.18 million mental health workers globally)
- Cultural stigma prevents many from seeking help
- In-person therapy is inaccessible to many due to geographic or mobility constraints
oVRcome tackles this treatment gap head-on, making clinically-proven therapy accessible to anyone with a smartphone, regardless of location, income, or social barriers.
What is your solution?
oVRcome is a smartphone-based app delivering Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) to treat anxiety disorders. By combining clinically backed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques with immersive VR experiences, it enables users to confront and reduce their fears in safe, controlled virtual environments.
Designed to close the treatment gap, oVRcome breaks traditional barriers to care:
- Cost-Effective – At just 1/28th the cost of traditional therapy, oVRcome makes evidence-based treatment affordable.
- Accessible Anywhere – As a fully remote solution, users can access therapy from home, eliminating travel and waitlists.
- Reduces Stigma – Home-based exposure therapy lets users progress privately, only transitioning to real-world practice when ready.
- Addresses Practitioner Shortages – Developed with leading experts, oVRcome delivers full psychoeducation comparable to licensed therapy, filling gaps in global mental health care.
In addition to self-guided psychotherapy and VRET through the app, we’ve also built a Therapist Dashboard to integrate oVRcome with existing services. The dashboard gives licensed therapists access to our extensive VR library. Therapists can add clients, build exposure hierarchies, monitor progress, and conduct remote VRET sessions to ‘see what the client sees’. This hybrid approach enhances therapist-client collaboration, ensuring scalable and effective anxiety treatment worldwide.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
oVRcome serves individuals suffering from anxiety disorders and phobias—particularly those in low- and middle-income areas and underserved communities where access to affordable, evidence-based mental health care is limited.
Our solution directly impacts:
Youth and adolescents: Anxiety often begins in the teen years, yet few youth have access to appropriate care. oVRcome’s smartphone-based app offers an engaging, tech-driven solution that resonates with younger users, making treatment accessible and appealing.
Rural and remote populations: With 70% of rural areas lacking mental health services, oVRcome’s remote delivery removes location barriers. Users can access VR exposure therapy (VRET) from home, avoiding travel to distant clinics.
Low-income individuals: Traditional therapy is often prohibitively expensive. oVRcome offers treatment at 1/28th the cost of in-person therapy, making it an affordable alternative.
Stigmatized individuals: Those less likely to seek support due to stigma. oVRcome’s discreet, home-based format reduces this barrier, allowing them to receive care privately.
Ethnic minorities: To ensure cultural accessibility, we’re translating content and expanding our VR library to include culturally relevant exposures, addressing the needs of diverse populations.
With a diverse, expansive VR exposure library, oVRcome offers personalized, accessible, and effective therapy, significantly improving users' mental health and quality of life.
