Mental Health Startup Intellect: How CEO Theodoric Chew Turns Personal Struggles into Entrepreneurial Success

Theodoric Chew, a 28-year-old with a history of panic attacks and an anxiety disorder, has not let his mental health challenges hold him back. In fact, they have inspired him to help others facing similar struggles. Chew is the co-founder and CEO of Intellect, a mental health startup that has successfully raised over $20 million since its establishment in 2019. According to Chew, Intellect is more than just an app or a helpline, but an integrated mental health-care system that caters to individuals at various levels of risk and need.

Chew’s journey as an entrepreneur started at a young age, experimenting with different internet businesses during his teenage years. By age 20, he had founded and exited his first startup, Existgreat, a self-help content platform. Drawing from his personal experience with mental health issues, Chew identified a gap in the market, especially in Asia where mental health care is underserved despite high prevalence rates. This observation led to the creation of Intellect, with a mission to provide accessible mental health services to those in need.

Despite the challenges that come with being a startup founder, Chew remains focused on expanding Intellect globally and becoming a leader in hyperlocal mental health care. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, ambition, and resilience in navigating the entrepreneurial journey. Chew advises aspiring founders to be “a bit delusional” in the early stages, highlighting the need for naively ambitious goals to drive success. With a team of experienced executives and a passion for building solutions, Chew’s vision for Intellect aims to address the pressing issue of mental health care in a holistic and impactful manner.