Psyflo, a pioneering behavioral health platform, has been awarded Cornell Tech’s prestigious Startup Studio Award, which recognizes the most promising and impactful ventures to emerge from the university’s Startup Studio program. The competition, held annually, showcases innovative startups developed by Cornell Tech students, with a focus on addressing real-world problems through technology and entrepreneurship.
This year’s competition was highly competitive, with dozens of teams pitching their ventures to a panel of industry leaders, investors, and faculty. Psyflo’s standout mission to improve mental health care for underserved youth earned it the top prize, including a $100K pre-seed investment to help bring its vision to life.
Psyflo stands out in the mental health landscape by addressing the specific needs of Black and Brown youth, who often face barriers to accessing quality care. By embedding its services within schools and leveraging its Kumba Connect+ platform, Psyflo provides a seamless ecosystem of support, including peer counseling, family outreach, and clinical interventions. This holistic approach ensures students receive care that is both accessible and tailored to their cultural context.
The Startup Studio Award highlights Psyflo’s potential to drive meaningful change in the behavioral health sector. Cornell Tech’s selection committee praised the platform for its scalability, technological sophistication, and focus on equity.
“Psyflo is not just a business—it’s a movement,” said one of the award judges. “Their mission to bridge gaps in mental health care for underserved communities is both timely and essential.”
Cornell Tech’s Startup Studio program is a cornerstone of its entrepreneurial curriculum, guiding students through the process of building and launching tech-driven ventures. The program emphasizes customer discovery, product development, and market validation, providing students with the tools and mentorship to turn their ideas into successful startups.
Winning the Startup Studio Award is a significant milestone for Psyflo, marking the culmination of months of hard work and innovation by its team. Co-Founder and CEO Deanna Oliver shared her thoughts on this achievement:
“We’re honored to receive this recognition from Cornell Tech. This award is a testament to the importance of our mission and the impact we aim to make. With this funding, we’re excited to scale our services and reach more students and families in need.”
With the support of Cornell Tech, Psyflo is poised to expand its partnerships with schools and community organizations, enhance its digital platform, and deepen its impact in the mental health space. The $100K investment will allow the team to accelerate its growth and continue its work to transform behavioral health care for underserved youth.