The bValue Fund, together with the remaining shareholders and the management team of Wellbee, has entered into an investment agreement with Benefit Systems – the leader of the non-wage benefits market. As a result of this agreement, Benefit Systems is acquiring a majority stake in Wellbee, while the bValue Fund, along with the founders, remains a minority shareholder and will participate in the company’s further development.
Wellbee: From pandemic startup to current market leader in wellbeing in Poland
Wellbee, founded in 2020 by Paweł Chrzana and Dariusz Milewski, is a Polish mental health platform that began operations in response to the increasing demand for psychotherapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its mission from the start has been to facilitate access for Poles to professional therapeutic support and destigmatize issues related to mental health. Over a few years, Wellbee significantly expanded its services, becoming one of the leaders in the wellbeing market in Poland. The platform collaborates with over 300 qualified specialists, offering services in psychotherapy, psychiatry, psychoeducation, psychodietetics, sexology, personal development, crisis intervention, addiction therapy, and sports psychology.
“The mental health market in Poland is estimated at around 1.2 billion EUR, and a significant part of the population struggles with mental health challenges. Wellbee breaks the taboo on mental health and increases access to specialized help. This is a real success story of our strategy to identify new solutions for traditional problems affecting large markets. When we evaluated the potential of this company 1.5 years ago, we noted the strong founding team, which had product and sales competencies while maintaining high cost efficiency. Besides capital, we supported the development of Wellbee, improving its corporate governance and operational processes. Today we see tangible results from this.” says Maciej Balsewicz, Founder and Managing Partner of the bValue Fund.
A new quality in non-wage benefits
Wellbee is a rapidly growing platform for mental health and personal development, operational since 2020, and offers online access to mental health specialists for Poles. It has been recognized by both individual users and companies, like Canon, E.ON, and EPAM. The acquisition of shares in the company by Benefit Systems is also a natural step in the development of the company’s strategy, which supports employee wellbeing and helps build a healthy and sustainable work environment.
“Business customers increasingly understand that caring for the mental health of employees is no longer just a benefit, but a standard that translates into real business results. We are convinced that thanks to the strong market position of Benefit Systems, we will be able to reach thousands of new companies and millions of their employees in Poland and in foreign markets.” comments Dariusz Milewski, CEO and Co-founder of Wellbee.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to holistically support human wellbeing. Faced with pandemic and war, we focused on mental health – an area that suffered the most. Starting a new chapter as part of Benefit Systems, we will have the opportunity to broaden the development of all its pillars.” adds Paweł Chrzan, Co-founder of Wellbee.
Investment with long-term perspective
The bValue Fund will retain its shares in Wellbee to continue supporting the company’s development. This strategic decision will allow bValue to further build value and ensure better capital returns for investors. The founders, Paweł Chrzan and Dariusz Milewski, will also remain shareholders, collaborating with bValue to support the platform’s further growth.
“The decision to remain shareholders reflects our belief in Wellbee’s ability to truly transform the mental health services market in Poland. We hope that joining forces with such a strong player in the employee benefits market as Benefit Systems will strengthen Wellbee’s offer and accelerate its growth.” concludes Maciej Balsewicz.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/benefit-systems-nabywa-udzialy-w-wellbee-z-portfela-bvalue-fund-67719
