542 dead mental health startups: who pays predicts survival, not the founding team

Dataset: Dead mental health startups, 2000-2026, coded on 18 fields

A dataset of 542 digital mental health companies that died between 2000 and 2026, coded on 18 fields including business model, payer, funding, and reason for exit. Analysis reveals a stark pattern: companies relying on consumer payments died at 53%, while those with institutional payers (employers, insurers, clinics) died at only 21%. A medical co-founder made no difference to exit rates (47% vs. 47%). The classification is LLM-assisted, with full rationale provided for transparency.