Headway, a platform connecting patients with mental health providers covered by insurance, announced Tuesday it has acquired the team behind artificial intelligence company Tezi.
The company plans to integrate the team into its broader engineering and product development to ensure AI “is developed responsibly while improving patient and provider experience," the announcement said.
“Today’s mental health system makes it harder than it should be for patients to find the right support, and for clinicians to focus on their work,” said Andrew Adams, Headway founder and CEO, in a statement. “We believe AI can help improve the infrastructure around care so clinicians can spend more time with patients and less time navigating complexity. The team behind Tezi has deep experience building systems where humans and AI work together, and we’re excited to bring that expertise to Headway as we continue building a more accessible and effective mental health system.”
The acquisition aims to continue strengthening mental health infrastructure, aiding clinicians in care and making it easier for patients to access support.
Among the team joining Headway is Tezi co-founder Raghavendra Prahbu, who will serve as vice president of engineering. Prabhu has previously built engineering systems at Google, Microsoft and Twitter.
“AI has the potential to remove a lot of the friction that exists in healthcare systems today,” Prabhu said in a statement. “What stood out about Headway is the commitment to applying AI thoughtfully in a way that strengthens the human aspects of care. We're excited to help make mental health care easier for patients and providers to navigate.”
The Tezi acquisition is not the first AI investment Headway has made. In September, it announced expanded EHR features, including AI-assisted notes based on provider inputs. This feature also helps format notes for insurers.
Headway operates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with more than 70,000 providers using the platform since its 2019 launch.