Overview

When Well Mind Stream Ltd noticed the growing need for accessible, scalable mental health support—particularly for students and young people—they decided to act. Shifting from their original tutoring services, the company set its sights on creating an AI-powered mental health platform.

But the challenge was steep. “This was a huge step up for us,” says Clive Rethman, founder of Well Mind Stream. “We had the vision but not the technical muscle to make it happen.”

Enter the BIG Growth Innovation Programme at London South Bank University (LSBU)—a support initiative that pairs ambitious businesses with academic experts to drive innovation. Over four months, from May to November 2024, Well Mind Stream and LSBU co-developed a powerful digital platform that makes mental health help more available, personal, and responsive.

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The challenge

The mental health crisis, especially among young people, has become more urgent in recent years. Long wait times and overstretched support services mean many students don’t get the help they need. Well Mind Stream wanted to fix that—but building a secure, smart, and empathetic platform was no small task.

They faced a number of big hurdles:

• Technical know-how: AI, machine learning, and secure data systems aren’t easy to build without expert help
• Reliable content: The platform had to give users trustworthy, evidence-based information
• Data safety: Protecting sensitive mental health information is essential
• User experience: The tool needed to feel warm, human, and accessible
• Limited resources: As a small business, they couldn’t do it alone

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‍The solution

LSBU’s BIG Growth Innovation Programme matched Well Mind Stream with Dr. Kamal Thapa, a research fellow with deep expertise in AI and health tech. Together, they laid out a clear plan with 10 work packages—from project design and system setup to training and documentation.

Here’s what they built:

AI chat assistant: A smart, conversational AI that could talk naturally with users, understand mental health-related queries, and respond appropriately using trusted information.

Personalised support: AI-driven recommendations that match users with resources or practitioners based on their specific needs and preferences.

Advanced technology:

• Secure, GDPR-compliant data handling
• Scalable cloud systems
• Use of cutting-edge tools like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and vector databases

Inclusive user experience: The platform includes features like multilingual support, dark mode, and responsive design—making it accessible and easy to use for everyone.

As Dr. Kamal Thapa notes:

“From the start, we knew this platform had to strike a balance—technically sophisticated, yet deeply human. Our work focused on building a system that users could trust, and that responded with both intelligence and empathy.”

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How the partnership worked

The partnership didn’t just result in a working product—it transferred knowledge that Well Mind Stream can use long after the project.

Through regular meetings, hands-on training, and detailed documentation, the academic team helped Well Mind Stream gain the skills they needed to keep developing and managing the platform.

Dr. Kamal Thapa was central to this. His experience in AI, software engineering, and mental health tech helped shape a solution that was not only technically strong but also ethically and emotionally appropriate.

“We didn’t just hand over a tool,” says Alex Hokin from the BIG Growth team.

“We helped Well Mind Stream build the in-house capability to grow and evolve it. That’s what makes this a true partnership.”

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The results

This collaboration has been a game-changer for Well Mind Stream.

Business transformation

The platform has had a measurable impact:

• Cut response times by 70% and bosted platform capacity by 300%
• Reduced operational costs by 35%
• New market entry into mental health tech
• A full pivot from tutoring to digital health services

Says Clive Rethman:

“This collaboration has changed the direction of our company. It’s opened up entirely new markets for us—and more importantly, it’s helping us meet a real, urgent need in society.”

Wider social and economic benefits

• The platform boosts access to mental health support for young people
• It contributes to the region’s digital skills economy
• It strengthens the innovation ecosystem between academia and business
• As the platform scales, it’s likely to create new tech and job opportunities

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Lessons learned

The team identified a few key factors that made this partnership work:

• Clear scope and structure helped keep the project on track
• Regular check-ins ensured consistent alignment
• An agile mindset allowed the team to adapt as they learned
• Most importantly, the platform was designed with the user in mind from day one

“Seeing the Well Mind Stream team take ownership of the technology was incredibly rewarding,” says Dr. Kamal Thapa.

“They came in with a strong idea and left with a scalable platform they can continue to evolve. That’s the real power of academic-business collaboration.”

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What’s next?

• Commercial Launch: The platform is set to go live in January 2025, with a focus on educational settings.
• Knowledge Transfer Partnership: LSBU and Well Mind Stream plan to keep working together through a formal KTP.
• New Features: The team is already thinking about how to add more personalised options, expand the database, and improve AI performance.
• Future Research Opportunities: There’s potential for academic research into how AI can improve mental health support even further.

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Final thoughts

“This is what the BIG Growth Innovation Programme is all about,” says Anna Kulhan.

“Pairing vision with expertise to solve real-world problems. What we’ve seen here is more than just business development—it’s innovation with a purpose.”

Discover more about the BIG Innovation Programme.

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This project is funded by the Mayor of London and UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The UKSPF proactively supports delivery of the UK-government’s five national missions: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.

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