Mental health app Voda raises £650,000 funding to support LGBTQ+ communities amid rising UK hostility
– 2 min read
Voda, the award-winning mental health app built by and for LGBTQ+ people, has raised £650,000 to scale its inclusive, therapist-developed mental health support — at a time when queer and trans communities across the UK are facing increasing hostility, targeted legislation, and limited access to culturally competent care.
Co-created with a team of seven LGBTQ+ psychotherapists and psychologists of diverse gender, sexuality, and ethnic backgrounds, Voda combines therapeutic rigour with lived experience to provide trauma-informed, self-guided support. The app offers pathways for users navigating coming out, gender dysphoria, discrimination and hate speech.
This latest raise marks a significant milestone for Voda, following a successful community-backed launch last year. The London-based app now supports more than 35,000 LGBTQ+ users worldwide, with a growing UK user base, and offers accessible tools for building self-worth, processing difficult emotions, and fostering emotional wellbeing in the face of adversity. With this funding, Voda will scale its reach, develop new therapeutic content with LGBTQ+ clinicians, and introduce community-led features that support everyday wellbeing.
The announcement comes amid a concerning rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric across the UK — including renewed attacks on trans rights, the scrapping of NHS LGBTQ+ inclusion initiatives, and widening gaps in access to mental health support. For many, especially those in rural areas or on long waiting lists, affirming care remains inaccessible.
Chris Sheridan MBACP, Lead Therapist at Voda commented: “Our community, particularly trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people are not struggling because they are unwilling to seek help. They’re struggling because the system is increasingly hostile to them.”
Jaron Soh, Co-founder and CEO of Voda, added: “In a time where LGBTQ+ rights are being rolled back and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments are on the rise, we’re proud to be building a queer-led platform that centres care and dignity. This funding will give us the ability to support thousands more LGBTQ+ people across the UK with the mental health support they deserve.”
