Koko
YC W22Founded 2020 · 8 employees · Nonprofit · 1 known investors
Koko Cares partners with academic researchers to deploy evidence-based mental health interventions for young people across digital and clinical settings in the US. The organization collaborates with Northwestern University's Lab for Scalable Mental Health to deliver programs like Project YES through online platforms, clinics, schools, and health systems.
Also known as Koko AI
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W22)
Koko was founded in 2020 by Rob Morris and Kareem Kouddous.
RM
Rob Morrisin𝕏FounderHe previously worked as a staff data scientist at Airbnb and as an entrepreneur in residence at Hopelab, and holds degrees in psychology from Princeton University and a master's and doctorate in media arts and sciences from MIT.
KK
Kareem Kouddousin𝕏FounderKareem Kouddous co-founded Suzy and Koko, the latter of which was acquired by Airbnb. He previously led Trust & Safety efforts at Airbnb and has since returned to lead Koko as a nonprofit, with early experience building software from childhood.
Investors · 1
The YC application· Winter 2022 batch
What they told YC
- Describe your organization in 50 characters or less.
- AI-based triage and intervention for mental health.
- How long have each of you been working on this? How much of that has been full-time? Please explain.
- The concept originated nearly ten years ago when one of the founders was a graduate student at MIT. Koko operated as a for-profit for about three years, and the founders have spent the past eleven months relaunching it as a non-profit.
Summarized from the founders' answers on their Y Combinator profile.
Competitors · 1
by search overlapCompanies competing with Koko for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
In the news
Dabafinance - Koko Networks Assets Go On Sale After Carbon Credit Collapsedabafinance.com · Jul 2026
Koko Networks Puts Ethanol Platform on the Block in $15m Asset Sale - Launch Base Africalaunchbaseafrica.com · Jul 2026Frequently asked questions
- What does Koko do?
- Koko Cares partners with academic researchers to deploy evidence-based mental health interventions for young people across digital and clinical settings in the US. The organization collaborates with Northwestern University's Lab for Scalable Mental Health to deliver programs like Project YES through online platforms, clinics, schools, and health systems.
- Who founded Koko?
- Koko was founded by Rob Morris, Kareem Kouddous in 2020.
- Who are Koko's investors?
- Koko's investors include Y Combinator.