Theodoric Chu, 28, co-founded mental health startup Intellect in 2019.
“We’re not just an app, and we’re not just a helpline,” Chu told CNBC Make It.
Intellect is an “integrated mental health care system aimed at addressing all levels of risk and need,” he said.
“It can be as serious and critical as a crisis call. [where] “Even something as small as wanting to feel more confident means I need to talk to someone on the ground,” the Singaporean CEO said.
Founded in 2019, the company’s services range from mental health screening tools and self-care programs to consultations with clinicians and face-to-face consultations. Intellect has more than 200 employees in 12 countries and claims to serve more than 3 million people as of 2024.
From drop shipping to ad arbitrage, Chu began experimenting with different internet businesses as a teenager.
“A lot of this started when I was in secondary school (between 12 and 16 years old). I was already working on some things myself at that point,” said Choo, who attended Raffles Institution, a well-known and prestigious school in Singapore.
At age 16, Chu decided to drop out of high school.
“I never thought in the long run that I would be a top student, go to a top university, become a top lawyer or doctor,” he said.
But what he did know for sure was that he wanted to spend more time building things: “For me, working at a startup is more important than theory.”
Chu said he had a few strokes of “good fortune” after dropping out.
By the age of 20, he had founded and successfully exited his first startup, Existgreat, a self-development content platform that featured interviews with the likes of American entrepreneur and speaker Gary Vaynerchuk.
After the acquisition, Chu gained further experience by working at several startups.
Reflecting on his own history of mental illness, Chu said, “I was 16 years old when I had my first panic attack.”
“Actually, that’s when I realised something was a little bit wrong,” he added.
Chu sought help from a therapist and was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Through his own experience, the Singaporean discovered a glaring problem: mental health issues are widespread in Asia, yet the area is undersupported.
Theodoric Chew did two years of National Service in Singapore.
Courtesy of Theodoric Chew
According to the World Health Organization the study“Around 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental disorders, of which around 260 million live in the WHO South-East Asia Region.”
Additionally, about 82% of workers in Asia are at “medium to high” risk of developing mental health problems. report by insurance brokers Aon and Telus Health.
“Some things are starting to dawn on me,” Chu said. “It’s not news that Asia has some of the highest rates of mental health crises, but the stigma is very strong.”
Of course, how Asian people handle their mental health is influenced by cultural and historical nuances, as Asians are less likely to openly share their feelings, Chu explained.
“That also spills over into the broader societal focus of health care. A lot of investment and innovation is going into secondary, primary and tertiary care, and hospitals are being built,” Chu said. But the mental health care market is not mature.
I don’t think I’m the smartest, or the most capable… but I am simply ambitious and I think that serves me well.
Theodoric Chew
Co-founder and CEO of Intellect
Chu noticed that her friends were also struggling with their own mental health issues but didn’t know where to start.
At the time, there was “virtually very little innovation happening” in mental health in Asia, he added.
“Not much has been done yet, but the problem is very real,” Chu said. “So that was a very good starting point for us: how do we address this problem of helping people get started?”
And so Intellect was born.
“I think every founder needs to be a little bit delusional in the beginning,” Chu said. “I don’t think I’m the smartest or the most capable, but I’m naively ambitious, and I think that helps me a lot.”
Throughout his journey, Chu has had a clear awareness of his strengths and, more importantly, his weaknesses. By knowing where his weaknesses lie, Chu outsources certain skills and tasks to his employees.
“Founders, especially young founders, need to be more aware of what they’re bad at than what they’re good at and be open to learning,” he said. “All of our executives are much more experienced and senior than I am.”
Intellect is currently offering in-person appointments.
Courtesy of Theororic Chew
In addition to “simple ambition” and a strong sense of self-awareness, Chu attributes his success to three things: an innate interest in making things, a willingness to try out ideas, and an anticipation of challenges along the way.
But the reality is, “it’s never going to be super easy for anybody, and you always have to overcome that inertia,” Chu said. [expecting] It’s also very important to be part of the journey.”
Going forward, Chu said he wants to expand Intellect beyond Asia with the goal of becoming “a global leader in trans-regional mental healthcare.”
“The journey has been incredibly exciting and rewarding. We never expected we would be able to meet such a huge need so quickly.”
When asked how he deals with the anxiety and stress of being a startup founder, he said that he tries to control and differentiate between his emotions and stress.
“Parking at work is sometimes a real necessity,” he said.
“I think having your own downtime in space is important for long-term functioning.”
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