Veezen: “We aim to make mental health accessible and a priority.”
Founded in 2021, Veezen is a start-up dedicated to improving the well-being of business teams and is today considered one of the most innovative in Morocco’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a new arrival that incorporates the latest technology into its approach, Veezen recently received the “Women in Gen AI” award from Microsoft and EY. Interview with Asma Alaoui, founder of Veezen.
Interviewed by M. Boukhari
Finances News Hebdo (F.N.H.): In a few words, how would you describe Veezen? What is your start-up’s mission?
Asma Alaoui (A.A.): The idea behind Veezen took root during a very revealing time, namely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time period brought to light a significant increase in mental health problems, especially in terms of worker disengagement. Studies from this time clearly show increases in disorders involving stress, anxiety, and depression, which were made worse due to the isolation and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. But the inspiration for Veezen did not arise solely from these global statistics. It was also born of personal observation and experiences, seeing friends and colleagues struggle to overcome mental health challenges in their professional lives. These stories, often shared confidentially, revealed a common denominator among many workers: the feeling of been overwhelmed, neglected or misunderstood by their employers in terms of their mental well-being.
Once I became aware of this, I realized that businesses, although they are often well-intentioned … There is a gap between the real mental health needs of employees and the solutions their employers propose. Too often, company wellness programs do not go beyond superficial measures, which leaves employees feeling all alone in dealing with their problems. So Veezen was designed to fill that gap. Our mission is two-fold: first, we want to raise awareness and educated businesses on the importance of mental health, and second, we want to provide tools and real solutions that genuinely meet the needs of workers. We want every employee to feel supported and understood, and every company equipped to effectively respond to the challenges of mental health. We aim to make mental health accessible and a priority, not just for the head of human resources and senior managers, but also for every individual in the organization. Our start-up maximizes the well-being of people in a company through wellness briefings and workshops, led by expert medical professionals, and if necessary, personal support that allows us to detect the first signs of stress or burnout, and proposes preventative measures tailored to the individual’s needs.
F.N.H.: Did you face financial difficulties when you first launched Veezen? If so, how did you overcome them?
A. A.: No, because we did not seek financing. My experience as an entrepreneur has taught me that during the “start-up” phase, it’s more strategic to channel all your energy and attention into growing your client base, developing your product and testing it with these potential clients, rather than actively seeking external funding, especially from venture capitalists (VC). So from the very beginning, Veezen was created to focus on work-in-the-field and to directly responding to market needs. We really honed in on genuine proof-of-concept and client testing of our product. This approach allowed us to remain agile, to concentrate on our core business and to remain independent of traditional funding cycles, thus promoting organic growth by relying on our own strengths and resources.
F.N.H.: Could you explain the business model that you created to launch your company?
A. A.: From the very outset of launching Veezen, we wanted to provide our clients will real value added, and to distinguish ourselves from escapism-based businesses in order to focus on concrete solutions that aim to promote well-being within companies. Our business model is a reflection of this goal: it is specifically designed to meet the mental health needs of businesses. To do this, we have integrated advanced technologies, such as AI and virtual reality, to create solutions that accurately respond to the needs of our clients.
Development started with a minimum lovable product (MLP) that we tested within several companies. This allowed us to evaluate their willingness to invest in solutions that are tailored to their specific challenges in terms of mental health. We reinvest a significant part of our revenues into research and development to continuously improve our services and to maintain our position as a leader in innovation. Our goal at Veezen is to create a complete and personalized ecosystem for mental health and well-being within businesses by fostering a proactive and wellness-based approach to work. This business model aims not only to improve the mental health of employees, but also to boost productivity and job satisfaction, thus generating a significant return on investment for our partners.
F.N.H.: What are your plans for the long term?
A. A.: In future, we see Veezen continuing to innovate and improve our services. We intend to broaden our range of technological solutions to offer even more personalized and effective mental health support. We also want to strengthen our partnerships with mental health experts and expand our scope to include a greater number of businesses, thus helping to create healthier and more productive work environments. Finally, we aspire to be at the leading edge of research and development in the field of mental health for business by continuing to integrate the latest scientific and technological advances into our solutions.