We look forward to implementing the expansion that this funding will allow and welcoming the next generation of therapists to our field.
WOODSTOCK, N.Y. (PRWEB) November 04, 2021
Today, psychedelic therapy training provider Fluence announced the first close of its initial investment round with a $1.6 million investment from JLS Fund, Palo Santo, and Neo Kuma Ventures, who co-led the round. The funding will be used to further scale Fluence’s expert-driven training platform by expanding its e-learning capabilities.
The current availability of ketamine therapy and the impending approval of other psychedelics, such as MDMA and psilocybin, as Breakthrough Therapies for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other widespread mental health conditions, are fueling a rapidly growing demand for training in psychedelic-assisted therapies. Some estimates have projected that the global market for psychedelic medicines could reach $10.75 billion by 2027, creating a wave of mental health professionals seeking training in how to safely and effectively administer these therapies. As Nature Medicine recently reported, “Many physicians who wish to incorporate psychedelics into their practices need training, and it will be essential to create evidence-based clinical-practice guidelines.”
Fluence is growing its already industry-leading training platform while helping set standards for the growing field of psychedelic therapy training. Fluence provides a combination of self-paced learning and live online and in-person trainings, enabling it to scale cohort sizes while giving students access to its expert group of trainers with deep roots in research, therapy, and clinical trials.
Fluence further enhances its impact by partnering with the leading companies advancing psychedelic medicines through the drug development process. Fluence is currently training therapists for Tryp Therapeutics’ Phase 2a clinical trial of psilocybin for the treatment of eating disorders, and designing and implementing the first-ever 5-MeO-DMT-assisted psychotherapy therapy training program in clinical research for Beckley Psytech, with more partnerships to be announced soon.
“Fluence grew out of our natural response to interest in high-quality professional education about psychedelic therapy,” says Elizabeth Nielson, Ph.D., co-founder of Fluence. “Bringing our expertise from multiple psychedelic therapy clinical trials and research leadership positions, our team delivers meaningful, engaging, and impactful training experiences to individual therapists and entire research teams. We look forward to implementing the expansion that this funding will allow and welcoming the next generation of therapists to our field.”
“Ingmar appeared on my radar while attending the 2008 World Psychedelic Forum in Basel, Switzerland,” says Simeon Schnapper, JLS Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Then a rising researcher, he is now one of the leading voices in the space. As psychedelics continue to enter the mainstream, the importance of having trained therapists will be critical for both clinical trials, as well as the global rollout of effective, psychedelic-assisted therapy. Fluence continues to remain at the epicenter of this nascent industry and it’s a privilege to support the company and leadership as they continue to scale.”
“I’ve been contributing to psychedelic research for over 14 years and one of the greatest challenges I’ve found to the availability and accessibility of psychedelic-assisted therapy is the lack of trained professionals to deliver these treatments,” says Fluence co-founder Ingmar Gorman, Ph.D. “Our primary objective at Fluence is to solve this therapist bottleneck by providing training that focuses on rigorous education in psychedelic therapy and skill building at scale.”
ABOUT FLUENCE
Fluence is an expertise-driven educational platform that provides professional certification and training in psychedelic therapy and psychedelic integration for psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and other healthcare practitioners. Fluence’s mission is to give healthcare providers the clinical skills and knowledge to provide effective, compassionate, evidence-based psychedelic therapy and integration services to patients through dynamic, interactive online and in-person training.
ABOUT JLS FUND
JLS was formed to invest in the exciting intersection of science, technology, and neurology, leveraging the enormous potential of plant-based and psychedelic medicines to heal illness and enhance wellness. We focus on the development of drugs for intractable mental and physical conditions and the enabling technology and tools that can accelerate and improve the delivery and efficacy of those therapies.
ABOUT PALO SANTO
Palo Santo is investing across a diverse ecosystem of psychedelic-focused businesses. Our team brings decades of experience in investing and portfolio building in PE & VC, along with experience in life sciences and healthcare services. Additionally, we are accompanied by the leading academics and advisors in psychedelic science.
ABOUT NEO KUMA
Neo Kuma Ventures invests in early stage psychedelic healthcare companies and digital therapeutics at the forefront of clinical research. By working with the leading companies in this field we will advance and redefine the standard of patient care.