BeneTalk, a leading innovator in the field of speech therapy, is excited to announce the launch of a public crowdfunding campaign for its groundbreaking digital on-demand therapy. The solution is designed specifically for people who stutter and their families, helping them to find joy in speaking.
The company is targeting £800,000 in funding, of which £640,000 has already been raised in non-dilutive grants from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency supporting companies at the cutting-edge of technological progress. BeneTalk plans to raise the remaining £160,000 through this public crowdfunding campaign via Seedrs. Funding will be used to accelerate the development and extend the availability of its proprietary digital on-demand therapy, enabling people who stutter and their families to access high-quality, evidence-based support anytime and anywhere. The company will also allocate funds towards research and clinical trials.
Interested parties can support the BeneTalk crowdfunding campaign and make a difference in the lives of people who stutter and their families, by visiting the campaign page at: https://www.seedrs.com/benetalk
To date, the company has developed two distinct products, BeneTalk and Penguin, designed to empower people who stutter to lead more confident lives and support their families.
BeneTalk is a mobile app that supports users in adopting helpful communication habits with interactive exercises and real-time feedback. Just like a fitness tracker helps users stay fit, BeneTalk includes a user-centric speech tracker to encourage regular practice and provide progress updates, and has already been downloaded by 15,000 users across 193 countries. The solution will develop into a goal based program that works in tandem with speech and language therapists.
Penguin, on the other hand, is an app for parents and carers of children who stutter, giving them the tools to support their child in communicating confidently, through a 10-day in-app course that parents can work through in their own time. Penguin has been developed with the input of Action for Stammering Children, National Health Service (NHS) Speech Therapists, people who stutter, and a collection of parents and caregivers. Penguin is currently being used in five NHS trusts – organisations that provide healthcare services within the NHS in the UK.
As part of BeneTalk’s future roadmap, the company will be launching a third app called SuperPenguin – a personalized, goal-based therapy plan for parents of children who stutter, helping them support their child’s experience with stuttering. SuperPenguin will provide practical advice on how to manage different scenarios, with behavioural guidance around how to nurture their child’s confidence and create an open, transparent dialogue around stuttering.
Stuttering is a neuro developmental disorder that begins in childhood, affecting 8% of children and 2% of adults, many of whom will suffer chronically from the condition later in life. Research suggests that up to 60% of adults who are seeking treatment for stuttering experience social anxiety disorder, compared to 6.8% of the general adult population.
BeneTalk is a close-knit team of engineers, therapists, and researchers, many of whom have first-hand experience with stuttering in their own personal lives. BeneTalk conducted a rigorous feasibility study that demonstrated how the solution has the potential to continue to improve people’s lives after therapy is completed and that 85% of users find BeneTalk effective.
Jordi Fernandez, CEO and Founder of BeneTalk said: “We are thrilled to embark on this crowdfunding journey to bring our digital on-demand therapy to those in need. I know firsthand the very personal difficulties associated with stuttering as a child, and I am driven to help others overcome these obstacles and live fuller lives. At BeneTalk, we firmly believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to communicate with confidence, and our innovative therapy provides a comprehensive and accessible solution for individuals and families seeking support.”
