Too few get help
More than 300 million people worldwide live with depression – and only about one in three receives help. Even in wealthy countries, only about one in four receives adequate professional treatment.
A(i) new generation of mental health companion
We help you conquer yourself, so that you can conquer your dreams
Malu is a proactive and interactive AI companion that addresses your personal challenges – everywhere and anytime. It accompanies your daily life with personalised, evidence-based mental health support, always at your fingertips.
Malu is currently a prototype in a closed beta via Apple TestFlight – access by invitation. Malu is an AI for prevention and self-care and does not replace therapy.
Your data stays yours – never shared with your employer
Transparent: you are talking to an AI
Grounded in psychological research
Why Malu
Stress is the health pandemic of the 21st century
We are living in turbulent times: career pressure, financial and economic uncertainty, evolving relationships, important life decisions, a restless world. The need for accessible and effective mental health support has never been greater.
Everyone is different
What drains or restores us varies greatly from person to person and fluctuates from day to day. Standardised approaches and static programmes quickly reach their limits.
Knowing is not yet doing
Psychotherapy and mental health apps can teach therapeutic content – but bringing new ways of thinking and acting into everyday life, in the moments that matter, remains the real challenge.
What makes Malu different
More than a library of exercises
While other apps are basically libraries of psychoeducational exercises, Malu is a proactive, motivating and deeply personalised companion – empowering change in the moment through learning while doing. Text- or talk-based.
Interactive
A real dialogue partner with evidence-based, psychotherapeutically grounded advice – everywhere and anytime.
Proactive
Malu notices patterns that pull you away from your goals and guides you towards change at the right moment – just in time.
Holistic
Malu looks at the interplay of everything that shapes your well-being – not just at isolated issues like sleep problems or heightened stress.
Safe
Your data is stored securely on GDPR-compliant servers in the European Union – making Malu a safe space to address your mental health directly.
How Malu works
From daily check-ins to your personal mood network
Malu learns gently and at your own pace what keeps you well – and helps you do more of it.
1
Check in, morning to evening
Short, structured check-ins on mood, tension, focus and sleep, plus guided journaling for the morning, midday and evening.
2
Let your phone and wearable fill in the rest
If you choose to, Malu adds data on sleep, steps and activity from Apple Health, and time spent at home – no extra effort on your part.
3
An Analytic Core that keeps working – even at night
Malu’s Analytic Core combines passive data tracking with an intelligent journaling algorithm. Whether it’s sleep, movement, relationships or recurring patterns of thought and behaviour – Malu helps you identify your personal stressors and resources and gives you a visual controller of your mental health: your personal mood network. Along the way, you set meaningful, step-by-step goals and see your progress grow.
4
Practise what helps, when it helps
All modules are rooted in evidence-based techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – on activation, stress, problem-solving, sleep and mindfulness – framed in a practical, interactive and entertaining format. You get the right exercise just in time and can boost your knowledge about mental health whenever you feel like it.
5
Your motivational just-in-time coach
A friendly AI companion you can write or talk to. It motivates you, suggests suitable exercises, works within clear boundaries and, in an acute crisis, points you to professional help.
A look inside
The Malu prototype
Screens from the current beta, with demo data.
For companies
Prevention as a confidential employee benefit
Mental illness causes the longest absences of any diagnosis group in Germany – on average 28.5 sick days per case, around €10,000 in direct labour costs. Malu complements your workplace health programme with personalised, everyday support for your team – voluntary, confidential and with little implementation effort.
Confidential by design
Individual health data is never shared with the employer. Employees decide for themselves what they share and how proactive Malu may be.
Early and low-threshold
Malu helps people notice personal stress patterns early and build lasting coping strategies – long before stress turns into absence.
Engaging, not static
Instead of another course library, Malu adapts content and timing to each person – for higher activation and lasting use.
We are starting pilots with selected companies. Interested? Write to us.
Science & responsibility
From research, not from marketing
Malu grows out of years of research on depression, personalised psychotherapy and digital interventions.
Evidence-based foundations
Malu builds on established techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy and on research with Ecological Momentary Assessment – the study of how feelings, thoughts and behaviour change in everyday life.
Evaluated, step by step
A scientific framework for evaluating Malu has been developed and published – “Measuring the Impact of AI-Driven Well-Being Apps: Instrument Development and Pilot Evidence from the Malu Prototype” (2026).
Responsible AI
Malu is not a free-roaming chatbot. Transparency, human oversight and GDPR-compliant processing on European infrastructure are built in from the start, and safety-critical situations are handled by fixed rules that lead to professional help.
Supported by universities
The idea was developed in the LMU Munich Innovation Incubator and further advanced in the EXIST Women programme at the University of Augsburg.
Supported by
About us
Psychology and technology, together
Malu is built by a small team that brings clinical psychology, software engineering and entrepreneurship together. Our mission: we help people conquer themselves, so that they can conquer their dreams – with a companion that feels safe, gentle and human.
Malu supports prevention and self-care. It makes no diagnosis, offers no treatment and is not a crisis service. If you are in acute distress, please contact the Telefonseelsorge (0800 111 0 111, free, 24/7) or, in an emergency, call 112.
Team
The people behind Malu
Cutting-edge technology from passionate psychologists, software engineers and entrepreneurs – brought together to make Malu safe, human and effective.
Dr. Jeanette Tamm
Co-founder · CPO
Clinical psychologist with 8+ years in clinical psychology and psychiatric research; PhD on depression, personalised psychotherapy and EMA at LMU Munich. Psychotherapist in training (CBT).
LinkedIn ↗
Jakob Oelkers
Co-founder · CTO
Computer scientist (TU Munich). 10+ years in software, including as Software Lead at Agrilution (vertical farming) and SafeNow (safety app).
LinkedIn ↗
Tobias Seemiller
Co-founder · COO
Designer (THA Augsburg) with an MBA (Alanus University). Co-founded a digital and design agency; venture building and AI innovation at the University of Augsburg.
LinkedIn ↗FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Malu therapy?
No. Malu is an AI companion for prevention and everyday well-being – not a replacement for psychotherapy or medical treatment, and Malu tells you so openly. In a crisis, please contact the Telefonseelsorge (0800 111 0 111) or call 112.
Can I use Malu alongside therapy?
Yes. Malu doesn’t replace therapy, but it can complement it: your personal mood network makes patterns from your everyday life visible – insights you can choose to bring into your sessions.
Who is Malu for?
For people who want to handle everyday stress better and notice early what keeps them well – especially working people with a demanding daily life.
Will my employer see my data?
No. When Malu is offered through your employer, your individual entries, conversations and health data are never shared with them. Use is voluntary.
What happens to my data?
Your entries and conversations are not passed on to other users and never sold. You decide which data you share and can change that at any time. Which data Malu processes, why and with which providers is explained in our privacy policy.
Do I need Apple Health or a wearable?
No. Connecting Apple Health is optional and can be withdrawn at any time in the iOS settings. Malu works with your check-ins alone, too.
Is Malu available on Android?
The beta currently runs on iOS. An Android version is planned.
What does Malu cost?
The beta is free. We will share conditions and prices in good time before launch.
How do I get an invite code?
Malu is in a closed beta. Write to us at support@heymalu.app – we will get back to you as soon as a spot is free.
Contact us and join the adventure
Whether you want to test Malu in our closed beta, bring it to your company as a pilot partner, or are an investor who wants to bring Malu to market with us – we look forward to hearing from you. Let’s help people conquer themselves, so that they can conquer their dreams!