Meta-backed mental health firm pivots to management coaching

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Hupo, a Singapore-based provider of talent coaching to companies, recently announced its official launch. It was previously a mental wellness firm known as Ami, which was reported as the first regional investment of Facebook parent firm Meta.

Justin Kim, who co-founded Ami in 2022 and now serves as CEO of Hupo, wrote in a LinkedIn post that his team was unable to make Ami take off as potential clients began removing employee benefits to cut costs.

Ami wanted to offer private and accessible healthcare support for employees. Its system paired coaches with users by analyzing their answers as they signed up for the service.

“Nearly everyone is talking about how people don’t leave companies, but they leave bad managers,” Kim said about the decision to pivot. “Retaining and development top talent is more important than ever in times of change.”

Hupo, which focuses on the Asia-Pacific region, helps companies find and develop great leaders for their operations. It links clients to coaches based on factors like personality profiles, communication styles, and professional backgrounds.

Kim said that his eight-person team managed to grow Hupo’s revenue by 800% over the last eight months. Its client list includes Oracle, Spotify, Morgan Stanley, Kredivo, and Love Bonito.

See also: To the brink and back: A YC-backed mental health startup’s journey