A Nigerian startup is using an AI chatbot and a vetted therapist directory to give young Africans a lower-friction route into mental wellbeing support.
SereniMind, founded in 2024 by chief executive Ridwan Oyenuga, is a youth-focused platform that combines personalized wellness recommendations from an AI chatbot with access to qualified therapists, alongside self-help tools, wellbeing education and community engagement features. The Nigerian company positions itself against a landscape it says is dominated by clinical-first offerings.
“Our mission is to make wellbeing support more accessible, affordable, and stigma-free for young people across Africa through technology, advocacy, and partnerships,” Oyenuga said.
He founded the startup after observing what he described as growing wellbeing challenges facing young Africans and the shortage of accessible support systems available to them. “While there are therapy platforms and mental health startups operating across Africa, many focus primarily on clinical services,” he said. “SereniMind combines wellbeing education, digital engagement, community initiatives, advocacy and support pathways designed specifically for young Africans.”
The platform allows users to identify relevant mental health professionals and book appointments, alongside an AI chatbot that provides personalized wellness recommendations and advice. Uptake, Oyenuga said, has been “encouraging” — particularly among students, young professionals and youth-focused communities.
The startup says it has reached more than 300,000 young people through mental health awareness campaigns, community engagement and digital wellbeing initiatives across Africa, and generated more than 100 million media and digital impressions through youth-focused campaigns, partnerships, advocacy work and press coverage.
SereniMind has primarily been bootstrapped and founder-funded, supplemented by grants, ecosystem support and strategic partnerships. Its revenue model currently includes wellbeing services, partnership opportunities, referral-based services and premium offerings being developed within the platform ecosystem. Profitability is not the current priority.
“As an early-stage startup, our current focus remains growth, impact, partnerships and product development rather than profitability,” Oyenuga said.
Activity to date has been concentrated in Nigeria, with impact and engagement extending into several other African countries through partnerships, campaigns, media outreach and digital initiatives. The company is now looking to move beyond that base.
“We are actively exploring deeper expansion opportunities across East, West and Southern Africa through strategic partnerships and localized collaborations,” Oyenuga said.
This piece touches on youth mental health, which is a sensitive topic — if any of the discussion around wellbeing resonates on a personal level for you or someone close to you, it can help to reach out to a professional or trusted person for support.
