Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech

This Thanksgiving, we celebrate the power of community and the hope it brings. In our latest newsletter, our founder, Chris, reflects on 6 years of sobriety—a milestone he credits to the right people showing up at the right time. His journey is a testament to why Sober Sidekick exists: to ensure no one has to navigate recovery alone. This month, we’re also spotlighting Amanda’s inspiring story of resilience and connection, made possible through the support she found in our community. ✨ Check out the newsletter for stories of hope, strength, and gratitude. Together, we’re building something extraordinary—one connection at a time.

I've met more predators who work in addiction treatment than I ever have in a bar or attempting to buy drugs. The last time I went to rehab, my roommate told me the admission director was paying him cash to stay longer. I have a former roommate who died while in treatment because they prescribed him additional drugs while inpatient because detox days have 2-3X more billable claims per day than PHP days. The sober living I lived in for years eventually got in legal trouble because the majority of their revenue came from illegal kickbacks for my roommates who relapsed and were re-admitted to inpatient treatment. These are real examples of the kinds of tactics that are used to keep people sick because recovered people don't make treatment center owners as nearly as much money. In the 43 billion dollar addiction treatment industry, the majority of billable claims are not aligned with preventing relapse, overdoses, and funerals. This is why we at Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech don't optimize for what is billable in healthcare today but to drive comeback stories and prevent funerals. We'll continue to fight the headwinds and structures that win when our members lose. Until care is genuinely driven by long-term value, we'll continue to see the highest fraud and patient abuse rates in this 43-billion-dollar industry. Because we believe that our communities are our most untapped resource, and when you empower them to stand up and support each other, they can drive the most epic wave of real-life comeback stories the world will ever see. #sobersidekick Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech Jeff Goe Jordan Carlisle Ria S. Chihiro Asanoma Michael Brouthers Jake Foerster #mentalhealth #addictionrecovery #alcoholism #addiction

Incredibly excited to share that I will have the opportunity to share the Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech story and mission at TEDx Maude Street next month! "Chris Thompson, founder and CEO of Sober Sidekick. After hitting rock bottom in 2018 because of addiction, Chris created the world's largest digital recovery community, supporting nearly 500,000 members. Sober Sidekick is more than an app—it's a lifeline. Its empathy algorithm ensures no member goes without support for more than minutes, directly addressing isolation, a root cause of substance abuse. The platform has gathered more self-reported sobriety data than any entity worldwide, providing unique insights into successful recovery journeys. A Harvard Business School case study highlighted Sober Sidekick's commitment to user needs over immediate revenue. Chris has presented at high-profile conferences, including the DoD's suicide prevention conference. Chris is integrating Sober Sidekick with healthcare systems and insurance providers to reduce relapse rates and costs. The platform can predict potential relapses two weeks in advance with 93% accuracy."

If you’re sober at HLTH USA feel free to hit me up. I find it ironic how gambling and getting sh*tfaced are the norm at the nations biggest digital health conference :) Or maybe it’s a good explanation for why addiction is such an unaddressed problem in this country. Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech Jordan Carlisle Jeff Goe #hlth #sobriety #addictionrecovery #mentalhealth #alcoholism #addictiontreatment

Leading product analytics company Amplitude names our Fund II portfolio company, Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech, THE hottest product in #health in North America and fastest to grow in the country—above WHOOP and hims & hers, which rank third and fourth, respectively. According to the report, "In today’s crowded digital landscape, competition is greater than ever—and so are customer expectations. The products that break through are not only leaders in innovation but increasingly offer best-in-class user experiences." Congratulations, Chris Thompson, Jake Foerster, Jordan Carlisle, Ria S., and the rest of the #SoberSidekick team. Hugely well deserved. In Chris' words: "By helping people, helping others, one day at a time, we believe we are scaling the most epic wave of real-life comeback stories the world will ever see." Full report at: https://lnkd.in/dF7q9nq8 #wearenina Nina Capital Sebastian Anastassiou Yahel Halamish Marc Subirats #healthtech #digitalhealth #recovery #empathy #mentalhealth #addiction #valuebasedcare #VBC

I believe that when you focus on how to empower people to empower others, you are playing an infinite game that could change the world forever. On Thanksgiving Day, 2018, I was a homeless addict and alcoholic who was empowered by others to begin my comeback story of recovery. This gave me the courage to learn to code and build a platform that would empower other addicts to help each other climb out of hell through an Empathy Algorithm that gamifies positive karma to ensure no one ever goes without support in the most critical moments. I had no resources to market, and the volume was small, but I immediately knew that the individual impact was real and life-saving. Knowing that Sober Sidekick was helping a small number of people was all I needed to know to keep going while living in a halfway house, sharing a room with multiple people, and witnessing multiple deaths and overdoses of my roommates and friends. The mission gave me a sense of purpose and life, Sober Sidekick had 10,000 users before I had the means to move out of the halfway house into my own place, it had 75,000 members before I had a dollar investment. And today, according to Amplitude, - Sober Sidekick is THE fastest growing product by daily active users in North America. - It's THE fastest growing digital health platform in the world by daily active users, outranking industry giants like Whoop and Hims and Hers. - We've converted thousands of addicts into peer support champions who have gone out and supported 10X and, in some cases, 10,000X more. By helping people, helping others, one day at a time, we believe we are scaling the most epic wave of real-life comeback stories the world will ever see. Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech #recovery #scalingempathy #mentalhealth #addiction #alcoholism Jordan Carlisle Jeff Goe Ria S. Chihiro Asanoma Paige Jernigan Ramsay Ball Jake Foerster Nina Capital HealthX Ventures Genevieve LeMarchal Brian Mac Mahon Kristi Ebong Suncoast Ventures Michael Brouthers

"Breaking points can be breakthroughs"

“Addiction treatment can help pull somewhat out of a hole; it can put a temporary stop to the cycle, but it’s not a solution to addiction.”

Grateful to be chosen by the Validation Institute as a finalist for 2024's Health Value Awards. "The Health Value Awards continue to gain momentum each year and we are excited about the list of finalists. The awards are a testament to Validation Institute's mission to provide unbiased, data-driven insights on healthcare solutions and services that drive transparency in the marketplace," said Haritha Krishnarathnam, EVP of Content and Strategy, Validation Institute