Theodoric Chew, 28, co-founded mental health startup Intellect in 2019.
Theodoric Chew suffered from panic attacks and anxiety disorders. But, he never let it stop him – in fact, it inspired him to help others with the same struggles.
Today, at 28, he is the CEO and co-founder of a mental health startup. intelligenceraising more than $20 million.
“We're not just an app, we're not just a helpline,” Chew told CNBC Make It.
He said INTELLIGENCE is a “comprehensive mental health care system designed to address any level of risk and need”.
“This could be as acute and critical as an urgent crisis call where you need to speak to someone on the ground… or it could be as small as wanting to feel more assertive,” the Singapore CEO said.
Founded in 2019, the company's services range from mental health screening tools and self-care plans to clinician consultations and in-person clinics. Intellect has more than 200 employees in 12 countries and says it will serve more than 3 million people by 2024.
high school dropout
From dropshipping to advertising arbitrage, Zhou began experimenting with various online businesses as a teenager.
“A lot of it started during my secondary school years (12 to 16 years old)…I was already doing something of my own by then,” said Zhou, who studied at Raffles Institution, a prestigious and prestigious school. Prestigious academy.
At 16, Chew decided to drop out of high school.
“In the long term, I really don't see myself going down the path of… becoming a top student, going to a top university, or becoming a top lawyer or doctor,” he said.
But it became clear to him that he wanted to spend more time building things. “For me, this comes through actually working in startups rather than theory.”
After dropping out of school, Zhou encountered several “lucky opportunities,” he said.
By the age of 20, he had founded and successfully exited his first startup, Existgreat, a self-help content platform that featured interviews with American entrepreneur and speaker Gary Vaynerchuk, among others.
After the acquisition, Chew went on to work at several startups, where he gained additional experience.
Inspired by his own journey
Speaking about his mental health journey, Chew said: “I had my first panic attack when I was 16.”
“It was actually at that point that I realized something seemed a little off,” he added.
Zhou continued to seek help from a therapist and was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Through his own experience, the Singaporean saw a clear problem: while mental health issues are prevalent in Asia, services in this area are scarce.
Theodoric Chew served in the army in Singapore for two years.
Courtesy of Theodoric Chow
According to the World Health Organization Research”, “Nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from mental health problems, and about 260 million of them live in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
In addition, according to a survey, about 82% of workers in Asia are at “moderate to high” risk of developing mental health problems. Report Provided by insurance brokers Aon and Telus Health.
“For me, something started to come together,” Zhou said. “It’s not news that Asia has one of the highest rates of mental health crises, but the stigma is very strong.”
Of course, cultural and historical nuances determine how Asians approach their mental health. Zhou explained that they are often reluctant to share their feelings openly.
“This also feeds into the wider social focus in healthcare. There's a lot of investment and innovation going into secondary, primary and tertiary healthcare – we're seeing hospitals being built,” but the mental health care market lacks maturity, Chew explain.
I don't think I'm the smartest, I don't think I'm the most capable, but… I was naively ambitious, and I think that served me well.
Theodoric Chew
Intelligent Co-Founder and CEO
Zhou saw his friends struggling with their own mental health needs, but they didn't know where to start.
He added that at the time “there was little innovation in mental health in Asia”.
“While not a lot has been done, the problem is very real,” Zhou said. “So, that gives us a really good starting point: How do we solve the problem of helping people get started?”
Thus, intelligence was born.
Looking forward to the challenge
“I think in the early stages, any founder needs to be a little bit delusional,” Zhou said. “I don't think I'm the smartest, I don't think I'm the most capable, but … I was naively ambitious, and I think that served me well,” he said.
Throughout his journey thus far, Chew has become acutely aware of his strengths and, more importantly, his weaknesses. By understanding his own weaknesses, Zhou outsourced certain skills and tasks to employees.
“As a founder, especially a young founder, you need to be very aware of what you are not good at, rather than what you are good at, and be open to learning,” he said. “Our entire management team is more experienced and senior than I am.”
Intellect now offers in-person clinic visits.
Courtesy of Theory Chew
In addition to being “naïvely ambitious” and highly self-aware, there are three keys to Chew's success: a natural interest in building things, a drive to try out ideas, and looking forward to challenges along the way.
However, the reality is “it's never going to be super simple or easy for anyone, so there's always this inertia that needs to be overcome,” Zhou said. “I think (looking forward to) being a part of that journey is also a really important thing.”
Shaping the face of mental health in Asia
Going forward, Chew hopes to expand Intellect beyond Asia, with the goal of becoming “a global leader in hyperlocal mental health care,” he said.
“This journey has been very exciting and rewarding…I didn't even imagine how quickly we could actually fill a very clear need.”
When asked how he deals with the anxiety and stress of being a startup founder, he said he works on regulating his emotions and stress and tries to compartmentalize.
“Sometimes you do need to stop at work,” he said.
“I think having my own personal downtime in space is really important for my long-term operation.”
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