Careem Head of Customer Growth leaves to launch mental health platform for the Middle East.

DUBAI (September 29, 2020) – Maria de Freitas, Head of Customer Growth, leaves Careem to launch a mental health platform built for the Middle East. The platform, called uMore, is the first of its kind, combining tracking capabilities and social features to enable better access to care.

"Like many around the world, my family was affected by COVID-19. My sister became ill with the virus and, due to isolation, she struggled with her mental health. I felt hopeless that I could not help her. That's what brought me to build uMore, a tool not only for her but for the 1.2 billion living in isolation." uMore co-founder and CEO Maria Freitas said in a statement.

uMore.app is a mental wellbeing platform that aims to help users better manage their mental health. Through the platform, users can monitor and track their wellbeing. Since wellbeing changes gradually and downturn triggers are hard to pinpoint, with the use of Behavioral Science and AI technology, the platform helps users understand patterns and visualize their progression.

uMore aims to improve access to mental health care, that is not only affordable but also convenient. On the platform, users have the ability to, not only track their mental health on their own but also to add trusted people to their safe circle, be it a friend, a relative or even their physician.

"We wish to offer users better tools to access help, because disclosure is often the first step in the healing process," said Alejandro Serrano Saunders, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder at uMore. 

Maria joined Careem just before the UBER deal, during which time she has witnessed significant growth within the ride-hailing giant. 

"I am sad to leave Careem. However, I am grateful for the experiences shared with the brilliant people who have shaped my everyday life at the company. Like Careem, uMore has a strong mission to impact the lives of millions of people living in the region", she added. 

uMore will be out for Beta users in late October.