The 28-year-old raised $20 million for his mental health startup. His No. 1 tip 1? ‘Be a little sneaky’

Theodoric Chew suffers from panic and anxiety disorders. But, she never let it stop her – in fact, it inspired her to help others who are struggling.

Today, he is the 28-year-old CEO and co-founder of mental health startup Intellect, which has raised over $20 million.

«We’re not just a tool, we’re not just a helpline,» Chew told CNBC Make It.

Intellect is «an integrated mental health care system ready to address any level of risk and need,» he said.

«It can be as bad and serious as a crisis call [where] you need to talk to someone on the ground … to something as small as wanting to be more confident,» said the Singaporean CEO.

Founded in 2019, the company’s services range from mental health assessment tools and self-care programs, to consultations with doctors and in-person clinics. Intellect has more than 200 employees in 12 countries and says it has served more than 3 million people as of 2024.

From stock discounting to ad arbitrage, Chew began experimenting with various online businesses throughout his teenage years.

«A lot of this started in my secondary school years (ages 12 to 16)…school in Singapore.

At the age of 16, Chew decided to drop out of high school.

«In the long term, I didn’t really see myself going down the path of … being a good student, going to a top university, or becoming a lawyer or a doctor,» he said.

But what he knew for sure was that he wanted to spend more time building things. «For me, it’s about working on startups as opposed to, you know, the idea of ​​it.»

Chew caught a «lucky break» after leaving school, he said.

By the age of 20, he had founded and successfully launched his first startup, Existgreat, a self-help news platform that featured interviews with the likes of an American entrepreneur and speaker. , Gary Vaynerchuk.

After receiving it, Chew continued to work in several institutions, where he gained more experience.

Recounting her journey with mental health, Chew said: «I had my first panic attack when I was 16.»

«That’s when, in fact, I realized that something seemed wrong,» he added.

Chew continued to seek help from a doctor, and was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Through his experience, the Singaporean has discovered an obvious problem: while mental health issues are rampant in Asia, the region is underserved.

According to research by the World Health Organization, «about one billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions of which about 260 million people live in the WHO South- East Asia.»

In addition, about 82% of Asian workers have a «moderate to high» risk of developing mental health problems, according to a report by insurance broker Aon and Telus Health.

«For me, a few things were starting to come together,» Chew said. «It’s not news that Asia has one of the highest rates of mental health, but the stigma is very strong.»

Naturally, there are cultural and historical norms that affect the way Asians tend to treat their mental health. They are less inclined to share their feelings openly, explained Chew.

«That breaks down into the wider, public health care sector as well. A lot of investment and innovation is going into secondary, primary and tertiary care – we’re seeing hospitals being built, «but the market for mental health care is not mature, Chew said.

Chew saw that her friends were also struggling with their own mental health needs, and they didn’t know where to start.

There were «there were no innovations happening in the area of ​​mental health in Asia,» at the time, he added.

«Not much has been made, but the news is real,» said Chew. «So, that gave us a really good starting point: how do we go about helping people get started?»

And so, Wisdom was born.

«I think in the early stages, any founder needs to fool themselves,» Chew said. «I don’t think I’m the smartest person, I don’t think I’m the most talented person but … I’m flexible, and I think that’s served me well,» he said.

Throughout his journey thus far, Chew has become acutely aware of his strengths, and more importantly, where he falls short. Knowing where his weaknesses lie, Chew assigns certain skills and tasks to employees.

«As a founder, especially a young founder, you need to focus on what you don’t know well, rather than what you know well, and be open to learning,» he said. «Our team is all more experienced and superior than me.»

Along with having a «no-nonsense mindset» and a high level of self-awareness, the key to Chew’s success has been threefold: Having an innate interest in building things, having eagerness to test ideas, and anticipate problems along the way.

However, the reality is that «it’s never very straight forward or easy for anyone, so there’s always the power to win,» said Chew. «I think [expecting] that being part of the journey is also very important.»

Looking ahead, Chew wants to expand Intellect beyond Asia, with the goal of becoming a «world leader in mental health care,» he said.

«The journey has been very exciting and rewarding… I didn’t even expect how quickly we could deliver on such a clear need.»

When asked how he deals with the anxiety and stress of being a startup founder, he said he works to control his emotions and stress, and tries to keep it separate.

«Workplace packing is sometimes necessary,» he said.

«I think having my time off in space is important for me to work for a long time.»

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