The Amsterdam startup, offering employees private and anonymous access to psychologists, lifestyle experts, and financial advisers through their workplaces, now collaborates with over 2,000 organizations in five European countries. The funding round was led by Smartfin, with Rubio Impact Ventures—the leader of the 2022 Series A—rejoining.
The customary route to professional psychological assistance in Europe typically entails a GP referral, a waitlist, and a scheduled appointment weeks or months later. For the approximately 30% of European workers showing burnout symptoms, this timeline seldom aligns with immediate needs. OpenUp, an Amsterdam-based mental health platform established in 2020, is centered on an alternative model: employer-funded, instantly accessible, and confidential.
The firm secured €20 million to broaden this model across Europe.
Belgian growth equity firm Smartfin, founded by Jürgen Ingels, led the round, with Rubio Impact Ventures co-investing. Rubio, a Dutch impact VC, was at the helm of OpenUp’s €15 million Series A in October 2022, joined by Achmea Innovation Fund and angel investors such as Adriaan Nühn and David Vismans.
This newly acquired capital aims to aid European expansion and the hiring of new professionals. The round increases the disclosed funding total to about €35 million.
Founded by Gijs Coppens, a licensed healthcare psychologist and founder of iPractice, a blended psychological care provider, alongside Floris Rost van Tonningen, OpenUp functions as a B2B subscription service: employers finance access, enabling employees to use it freely and anonymously, devoid of referral requirements.
Anonymity is integral; employers receive only generalized data on usage with no knowledge of individual service users or session details.
The platform delivers three types of support: personalized sessions with psychologists, physical health experts, or financial specialists; interactive group sessions; and self-guided online courses in over 35 languages.
Operating in five European regions—the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France, and Belgium—it serves over 2,000 organizations, including Rabobank, Decathlon, and Deloitte.
The model is intentionally preventative rather than clinical, bridging the gap from “nothing is wrong yet” to “I need a specialist referral,” traditionally inadequately addressed by Employee Assistance Programs.
Coppens notes that about two to three percent of OpenUp users eventually pursue formal clinical care, viewing this as successful early intervention rather than a platform shortfall.
Coppens described the funding as part of a broader shift in employer obligations: “Employers are increasingly shouldering responsibility in this area, and policymakers may soon enforce a duty of care. Concurrently, AI is fundamentally altering work structures. Thus, organizations must contemplate how to support their workforce through this transition, precisely what we address at OpenUp.”
The market landscape is clear. Over 1.6 million Dutch workers—around 20% of the workforce—report burnout symptoms. Across Europe, this number nears 30%, equating to approximately 60 million workers.