Swedish digital therapy provider Mindler has acquired ieso Digital Health UK, the NHS-focused arm of Cambridge-based ieso. The transaction consolidates two of the most established players in online mental healthcare, bringing together Mindler’s pan-European platform with ieso’s video- and text-based cognitive behavioural therapy and clinical tools. The acquisition covers ieso’s UK operations, which provide talking therapies to NHS patients across England and Scotland. Ieso’s parent company will continue to operate independently, concentrating on AI-based mental health products. Under the deal, ieso Digital Health UK will be integrated into the Mindler brand but maintain existing contracts and patient services, with Dr Charlotte Housden remaining as UK Managing Director.
Founded in 2018, Mindler is a digital mental healthcare provider operating across the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. The company connects patients with licensed psychologists through video consultations and offers clinically validated therapy programs designed to address a range of common mental health conditions. Mindler has facilitated more than 1.8 million digital therapy sessions to date and has expanded its services through several acquisitions in the European digital health sector.
Erica Larson, Group CEO at Mindler says “ieso’s work in the UK has set a gold standard for scalable, evidence-based digital therapy. We are thrilled to bring their expertise, clinical insight, and NHS relationships into the Mindler group. Together, we will offer the most comprehensive digital mental health platform in the UK – one that supports patients throughout their care journey.”
ieso Digital Health UK delivers online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other talking therapies, primarily through contracts with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Based in Cambridge, the service has supported over 145,000 NHS patients to date and provides both video- and text-based therapy sessions. The organisation focuses on delivering care that aligns with NHS clinical standards, while also integrating digital tools to increase accessibility and capacity within mental health services.
Charlotte Housden, ieso’s UK Managing Director adds “ieso has already delivered more than 640,000 hours of therapy to patients. Joining Mindler allows us to further amplify our impact while staying true to what has made ieso UK so trusted by patients and NHS partners alike. Our teams share a commitment to clinical quality, innovation and accessibility. With Mindler’s support, we’re excited to expand our services and continue delivering care to the tens of thousands of patients who rely on us every year.”
This acquisition is specific to ieso’s UK telecare services business providing mental health services to the NHS. The parent company, ieso (www.ieso.ai), remains focused on delivering quality mental healthcare through evidence-based clinical AI. The parent company will continue to maintain the brand name ieso.
Kent Tangen, CEO at ieso says “We’re proud to have supported thousands of lives through ieso’s UK telecare services. That legacy will always be a part of who we are. With those operations now in excellent hands at Mindler, ieso is committed to building the future we’ve long envisioned: delivering safe, effective AI-powered mental healthcare at scale. Our immediate focus is in the US, but our mission is global. As AI adoption accelerates, mental health is emerging as one of its most urgent and natural use cases. The market is moving fast, and so are we.”
Mindler’s acquisition of ieso’s UK entity will create a market-leading digital mental health platform: combining Mindler’s pan-European digital therapy platform with ieso’s innovative video and typed CBT, and AI-powered clinical tools. The company’s UK contracts, which include one third of the integrated care systems (ICSs) in England as well as a national contract in Scotland, will continue with ieso Digital Health UK, now part of Mindler. All patient health data will remain under the ownership of ieso Digital Health UK and is stored securely, in full compliance with NHS data governance standards.
The data is protected using industry-leading security protocols and infrastructure, with privacy and security built into every layer of the platform. ieso Digital Health UK will integrate into the Mindler brand, while ensuring continuity of service for partners and patients. Dr Charlotte Housden, UK Managing Director of ieso Digital Health UK will remain on in her current position.
Demand for mental health services continues to outpace supply, especially across NHS pathways. Around 3.8 million people were in contact with NHS mental health, learning disability, and autism services between 2023-2024, up almost two fifths compared to before the pandemic. However, according to Rethink Mental Illness, patients are eight times more likely to wait over 18 months for mental health treatment than physical health treatment.
Compounding the issue, the average vacancy rate for doctors in NHS mental health services remains high, with 11.3% of full-time employment roles vacant according to the British Medical Association. In contrast, a recent study by Mindler and Uppsala University found that 88% of patients using its digital therapy platform received timely care, while 86% felt supported in managing their own mental health.
The expanded offering will give buyers greater flexibility in how care is delivered, along with deeper clinical capabilities and more actionable data insights. Together, Mindler and ieso Digital Health UK can support a wider range of mental health needs with a scalable, evidence-based solution that complements traditional face-to-face models. With both live and asynchronous therapy under one roof, healthcare services can better manage capacity, reduce waiting times, and personalise care to individual needs.
This acquisition marks a powerful example of Nordic innovation strengthening the UK’s digital health infrastructure. As a trusted digital health brand from Sweden, known for its patient-first innovation, Mindler brings a track record of clinical excellence, user-centred design, and scalable digital delivery of therapy to adults, children and young people and well as across the neurodiversity offering – bolstering the UK’s ability to meet growing mental health demand with world class, data-driven care.
This follows Mindler’s previous acquisitions of Finnish med-tech startup Medified (enabling the company to more accurately measure treatment outcomes) and The Sandbox, a UK-based innovative digital mental healthcare service for children and young people, as part of its ongoing strategy to strengthen and scale its digital mental health services across Europe.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/mindler-acquires-ieso-uk/
