Startup profile · funding coverage
Slingshot AI funding, valuation and investors
Foundation models and consumer app (Ash) for AI mental-health support.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Series A extension
$53M · July 2025
Latest known valuation
Not publicly disclosed
Total disclosed equity funding
$53M
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
private
series a · New York, New York
Investors in latest funding
Lead: Radical Ventures , Forerunner Ventures
Other: Andreessen Horowitz , Menlo Ventures
Overview
Slingshot AI builds foundation models tailored for mental health and offers Ash, a consumer app for AI-guided emotional support. Founded by Neil Parikh (Casper co-founder) and Daniel Cahn, the company raised ~$30M Series A in August 2024 led by Andreessen Horowitz with Menlo Ventures, then a $53M extension in July 2025 co-led by Radical Ventures and Forerunner Ventures bringing total funding to $93M.
Why Slingshot AI is interesting
Casper co-founder Neil Parikh trains psychology-specific models — a16z led Series A before Forerunner/Radical joined $93M total raise.
Product & use cases
Slingshot trains domain-specific AI models for therapeutic conversation patterns; Ash is the consumer app delivering AI-guided mental health support with clinical advisory oversight.
- Consumer mental health self-support via Ash app
- Foundation model licensing for digital health partners
- AI therapy adjunct between clinical sessions
- Research on psychology-specific LLM training
Key facts
- Series A extension (Jul 2025): $53M; total $93M — BusinessWire
- Series A (Aug 2024): ~$30M led by a16z — a16z announcement
- Founder Neil Parikh co-founded Casper
- Ash consumer mental health app + foundation models
Funding history (newest first)
Series A extension
2025-07 $53M- Radical Ventures (lead)
- Forerunner Ventures (lead)
- Andreessen Horowitz (participant)
- Menlo Ventures (participant)
Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250715000000/en/
Series A
2024-08 ~$30MSource: https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-slingshot-ai/
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Slingshot AI's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: Purpose-built mental health models vs general ChatGPT wrappers — founder pedigree from Casper consumer scaling.
AI mental health sits between regulated clinical tools and unregulated chatbots. Slingshot bets specialized models + consumer app distribution win; regulatory scrutiny on AI therapy claims is a key risk.
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Woebot direct
CBT-based chatbot for mental health; clinical validation focus.
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Headspace / Calm AI features adjacent
Meditation apps adding AI coaching.
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ChatGPT / general LLMs alternative
Users may use general AI for emotional support without clinical guardrails.
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Spring Health adjacent
Employer mental health platform with human + digital care.
Notable stories
- Parikh pivoted from sleep mattresses (Casper) to AI mental health — applying consumer DTC playbook to regulated-adjacent wellness.
- a16z led Series A as vertical-specific foundation models became investable category in 2024.
Industries
FAQs about Slingshot AI
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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