Having pivoted earlier this year, Fredericton startup CyberPsyc Software Solutions is gaining traction with new products that help employees treat mental conditions. Thousands of people have used its online products this year, and the number looks set to grow in the future.

CyberPsyc began in 2010 to develop a Software-as-a-Service product that would use the research of University of New Brunswick psychology professor Darren Piercey to help people treat phobias and anxiety.  Its first two products aimed to treat the fear of dentists and public speaking, but they did not gain the customer base Piercey and his team had hoped for.

So since January, CyberPsyc has been selling products to treat three conditions – stress, anxiety and depression. Together, they make up a massive market when you consider that anxiety and depression cost the North American economy an estimated $46 billion each year.

Chief Operating Officer Natasha O’Brien said in an interview the company has signed up three major providers of Employee Assistance Programs – voluntary, confidential programs that large employers have for their staff – to distribute the CyberPsyc products. One of these EAP providers is now giving CyberPsyc access to 200,000 individuals, and is part of a larger group that has access to 2 million people. The other two EAP providers can distribute to 100,000 people each.

O’Brien said the company’s products so far have been used by about 10 percent of the people who’ve had access to them. That’s impressive given that as a rule only 2 to 7 percent of the people with access to EAPs use their products.

“These early customers are critical for obtaining large volumes of data and proving our metrics to help us better understand the market and future customers,” said Piercey in an email exchange.

The company – which now has six employees -- is still offering companies its public speaking product, which animation and virtual reality to acclimatize the user to speaking in front of people. The program to help people get over their fear of dentists has been shelved after not receiving sufficient sales. The focus of the company is now on selling the stress, anxiety and depression products.

Piercey this month is attending the Human Resources Management Institute West Coast in Newport Beach, Calif., at which he has lined up sales meetings with 14 multi-national companies, which are potential customers. 

In 2012, CyberPsyc was in the first cohort of the Launch36 accelerator and it received funding from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Mariner Partners chair Gerry Pond and other angels. Last year, the company raised $200,000 in funding and Piercey is now raising money again with a target of $200,000.