What Slingshot AI does
Slingshot AI is a mental health research lab building Ash, the first AI app designed specifically for therapy. Unlike general-purpose chatbots, Ash is built on a special-purpose foundation model that Slingshot trained over 18 months on one of the largest and most diverse behavioral-health datasets ever assembled. The model has learned the practice of dozens of therapeutic styles and approaches including CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing, and adapts its therapy style based on how users respond.
Ash is now available as a free iOS and Android app and was launched publicly in July 2025 after 18 months of development with 50,000 beta users. The product focuses on deeply personalized mental health support, distinguishing itself from companion or chatbot products by being explicitly designed to apply therapeutic frameworks rather than provide friendship.
Who it's for
Ash is built for consumers seeking accessible mental health support, particularly those who lack regular access to a licensed therapist due to cost, geography, or availability. Slingshot positions Ash as a complement rather than a replacement for human clinicians and is partnering with the clinical community to study outcomes. The company is also exploring enterprise and provider partnerships.
Pricing
Ash launched as a free consumer app on iOS and Android. Slingshot has signaled plans to add premium features over time.
Team & funding
Slingshot AI was founded in 2023 by Daniel Cahn (CEO), an AI engineer with a research background in technology for mental health crisis, and Neil Parikh (President), who previously co-founded the mattress company Casper and grew it past $500M in revenue through to its 2020 IPO. The company is backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Radical Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and Felicis. Slingshot has raised approximately $93M to date, including a $30M Series A in August 2024 led by a16z and a $53M Series A extension in July 2025 co-led by Radical Ventures and Forerunner Ventures.
Position vs competitors
Slingshot competes with mental-health chatbot products such as Wysa, Woebot Health, Earkick, and consumer companions like Replika, but differentiates by training a proprietary foundation model on therapy-grade behavioral health data rather than fine-tuning a general LLM. Its hybrid clinical-AI go-to-market and clinician partnerships are designed to satisfy regulators and payors over time.