Mave Health aims to improve attention and mood with its brain-stimulating headset

In recent years, a wave of startups has emerged, attempting to address mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia through innovative wearable technology. Among them is Mave Health, a San Francisco-based startup that has introduced a neuromodulation headset priced at $495, designed to enhance attention, improve mood, and manage stress levels. Founded by Dhawal Jain along with his college classmates Jai Sharma and Aman Kumar in 2023, Mave Health was born out of a personal tragedy. Jain's experience during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when he witnessed the impact of mental health struggles on a close friend, drove him to explore solutions in this field. "We began questioning the conventional wisdom in mental health assessments, particularly the lack of measurable progress for individuals in therapy," Jain explained. Determined to find a better way to evaluate mental health, the founders delved into neuroscience, engaging with experts to uncover the potential of neuromodulation. They discovered that while laboratory advancements had been made, consumers lacked access to such technologies. As a result, Mave Health decided to market its headset as a lifestyle device, aiming to reach a broader audience. The device utilizes transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive method that applies low-intensity currents to stimulate brain activity. While tDCS is sometimes employed in psychological settings, its safety profile includes only mild, temporary side effects like itching or discomfort. Mave Health recommends users engage with the headset for 20 minutes daily, especially in the initial weeks of use. Accompanying the headset is an app that tracks long-term trends in mood, focus, and stress levels, while also integrating with other health metrics like Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Users begin their journey with a self-assessment and periodically complete follow-up evaluations to gauge the device's effectiveness over time. Though Mave Health has not yet conducted formal clinical trials, the company reported promising results from a private beta test involving over 500 participants in 2024 and 2025. Among those surveyed, eight out of ten users indicated a 60% boost in productivity, and 75% noted a reduction in stress within two months. Dr. Himanshu Nirvan, a psychiatrist from Delhi who consulted for Mave Health, acknowledged the potential of tDCS for addressing mental health concerns but expressed caution regarding its lifestyle application. He emphasized the importance of structured programs and proper patient selection during testing. Clinical neuropsychologist Leigh Elkin Charvet of NYU raised concerns about the use of tDCS without clinical oversight, suggesting that consumers may struggle to assess the device's effectiveness without a rigorous measurement framework. She pointed out that most existing research focuses on clinical populations rather than healthy individuals seeking lifestyle improvements. Currently, the device is available for pre-order, with plans to ship the first units to customers in the U.S. and India by April 2026. Mave Health recently secured $2.1 million in seed funding led by Blume Ventures, bringing its total funding to just under $3 million.