Seae Ventures has emerged as a thoughtful and mission-driven investor, focused on closing the gap between rising demand and limited access, especially in underserved communities. In this conversation, we sat down with Justin Williams, a Principal at Seae Ventures, to explore a key focus for their firm, what trends are shaping the future of care, and where they see the greatest need and opportunity for innovation. From investing in high-acuity crisis care to enabling frontline community providers, Seae’s approach reflects both a deep sense of purpose and a clear-eyed view of what it takes to build sustainable, impactful solutions in behavioral health.

Why did Seae become interested in Behavioral Health?

Behavioral health touches every corner of the healthcare system, and it’s one of the most urgent challenges facing patients and providers today. At Seae, our mission is to invest in companies that improve health outcomes for underserved communities—and you can’t talk about health disparities without talking about behavioral health. We became interested not just because of the clinical and economic burden, but because we saw a growing gap between the demand for care and the capacity of our current system to meet it. On a personal level, behavioral health has deeply affected the families of many members of our team, further strengthening our conviction and sense of urgency to seek meaningful solutions to this growing challenge. That imbalance creates both a moral imperative and a clear opportunity for innovation.

What trends is Seae seeing in Behavioral Health?

We’re seeing a shift from broad teletherapy platforms to more targeted, condition-specific solutions—especially those that integrate with existing clinical workflows or serve higher-acuity populations. There's also a growing recognition that virtual care alone isn’t enough; payers and providers are now asking for measurable outcomes, integrated care models, and sustainable economics. At the same time, the market is becoming more discerning about quality—many early players focused on access and scale, but now there’s a spotlight on whether that care is actually effective. Regulatory pressure is also increasing, particularly around how behavioral health startups handle data, reimbursement, and evidence-based treatment pathways. As states take a closer look at outcomes and standards of care, companies that can demonstrate real-world impact and compliance will have a distinct advantage.

Where is there room for innovation in Behavioral Health?

There’s still a lot of white space in care models for serious mental illness. We’re also interested in platforms that enable community-based organizations and safety-net providers—folks who’ve been on the frontlines long before behavioral health became trendy. Another area ripe for new technology is measurement: tools that help us quantify progress, personalize treatment, and improve accountability. We also see opportunity in technology that supports clinicians—whether by extending their reach, easing documentation burdens, or helping bridge the gap between sessions to keep patients engaged. And finally, we think there’s room to innovate in how behavioral health is financed and reimbursed, especially through value-based care models.

What are Seae’s latest investments in Behavioral Health?

Willow Health is our most recent behavioral health investment. They’re building a virtual-first model that delivers high-acuity care to people experiencing behavioral health crises—they’ve built both a fully virtual crisis clinic and an intensive outpatient program. The company sits at the intersection of two underserved markets: virtual crisis intervention and intensive outpatient care for patients who fall between traditional outpatient therapy and inpatient hospitalization. Willow has developed a tech-enabled, clinician-led model that delivers timely, high-touch care that keeps patients out of the ER, helping to reduce readmissions and improve continuity of care.

What made Seae invest in this company?

We invested in Willow because they’re solving a real problem, in a high-stakes environment, with a model that balances urgency and clinical rigor. The founders, Lauren Morrell and Dr. Christina Gerdes, bring a rare combination of lived experience, commercial discipline, and clinical credibility. They’ve built a care delivery system that can meet people in crisis, quickly assess acuity, and then either stabilize them or guide them into the right level of ongoing care.

What really stood out to us was their ability to execute: they launched services within 18 months of founding, secured early contracts with health systems and payers, and proved they could deliver high engagement and strong patient outcomes. Regulatory compliance and quality are front and center for the team, which is essential in a space like this—especially as scrutiny increases around virtual behavioral health care. Willow isn’t just navigating those complexities; they’re setting the bar.

We saw an opportunity to back a team that understands both the clinical and business imperatives of crisis care—and is building infrastructure to serve a population that the system has historically failed.