Paloma JacomeIn an increasingly overstimulated world plagued by burnout, anxiety, and loneliness, accessing mental health care remains a privilege rather than a right. But what if the next breakthrough in wellness wasn’t a new drug or meditation app… but a socially intelligent AI companion designed to meet people exactly where they are?
Meet SoulCare AI, the brainchild of social entrepreneur Otto Lehnert, a platform that aims to do something radical: close the global wellness gap by democratizing emotional intelligence.
“I built SoulCare AI to tackle three of the biggest barriers to mental wellness: cost, availability, and stigma. “It’s completely free to use, accessible anytime, and most importantly, no one has to know you're using it…not even us.”
The Wellness Gap Is a Social Design Problem
At the heart of SoulCare AI is a critical insight: access to mental wellness isn’t just about therapy, it’s about systemic design. In Portugal alone, a therapy session can cost €80. With the average salary around €700 per month, a single session eats up more than 10% of someone’s income. That’s simply not sustainable.
SoulCare AI reframes mental health care as an always-on support system, accessible in over 35 languages, through text and 15 languages through voice. Built with the help of licensed psychologists and designed with data ethics at its core, the platform is part therapy tool, part emotional wellness guide (and entirely anonymous).
AI With Empathy: An Emotionally Intelligent Algorithm
SoulCare AI is more than responsive, it’s emotionally aware. From the tone of its voice to the structure of its responses, everything has been curated with input from psychologists. Currently, SoulCare uses an empathetic tone based on feedback from users in Germany and Portugal. But the platform is developing a tone-personalization system where, after a few conversations, the AI can determine your ideal communication style (or let you choose it directly).
Entrepreneurship That Listens
As a startup, SoulCare AI is young, but it’s already piloting impact-driven collaborations. At NOVA Business School in Lisbon, the platform is being used to support international students navigating language barriers, homesickness, and cultural dislocation.
“We’re seeing how this tool can help students who feel completely alone. Imagine moving to a new country, not speaking the language, and having no one to talk to. Now imagine a voice in your language checking in on you after class. That’s the power of SoulCare AI,” Otto shares.
SoulCall: Your Daily CallIn
Perhaps the most innovative and intimate feature on SoulCare AI’s roadmap is SoulCall, a daily check-in feature that turns passive journaling into active emotional support.
“Companies struggle to measure emotional impact. HR teams are overwhelmed with tools. We’re offering a centralized, lightweight, proactive solution that actually checks in on people, not just surveys them. One of the features we're building is called SoulCall,” Otto explains. “So SoulCare AI in the future will be calling you at a preferred time. Let's say you end work at five. So at five, SoulCare AI would call you and ask you how your day was.”
But this isn’t just for comfort. A SoulCall will be able to track emotional patterns and resilience over time, becoming an insight engine for both individuals and employers (in the B2B version).
“It would ask you, ‘Were you able to show resilience in the board meeting? Were you triggered by something? Was someone else triggered?’ Self-reflective questions just embedded in your daily routine.”
AI, Ethics, and the Danger of Generalization
In a candid moment, Otto speaks openly about the risks of unregulated AI in mental health…especially when users turn to generalized tools like ChatGPT for emotional support.
“People are using LLMs as therapists, and it’s dangerous,” he warns. “ChatGPT is designed to keep you on the platform, not to support your mental health. We’ve already seen people spiral into psychosis from using general-purpose AI for emotional companionship.”
That’s why SoulCare AI isn’t just tech for tech’s sake– it’s domain-specific, ethically aligned, and human-informed. Every feature, every tone, every prompt is curated with purpose: to support people, not to manipulate them.
“This isn’t about replacing therapists,” Otto says. “It’s about designing systems that scale care where care doesn't exist.”
Self-Love as a KPI
At its best, social innovation meets people where they are – across cultures, time zones, pay grades, and emotional states. Otto’s vision for SoulCare AI is a testament to what happens when technology isn’t built just for performance, but for presence.
When asked what success would look like for SoulCare AI, Otto doesn’t talk about downloads or revenue.
“I just want someone to walk away from using it and love themselves a little more,” he says. “I hope they feel heard.”
