Originally starting out as an online mental health program aimed at employers to help reduce downsream healthcare costs, Meru Health has made a few interesting growth/pivot options into the wider mental health space - such as partnering with decentralized clinical trial provider Curebase to test the effectiveness of its treatment programs aimed at reducing burnout, depression, and anxiety. This is likely the future of mental health apps - as the space gets more crowded, users will demand more validation via controlled studies to separate innovators from pretenders. Currently starting with a small pilot of around 15 subjects, Meru Health plans to expand to a larger trial with several hundred subjects - with the smaller trial funded in part by the National Institute of Health (NIH)'s Small Business Innovation grant program. (September 2023)