Being a longtime peer-support counselor, Michiel Rauws decided to start X2 AI, a company providing mental health support through conversations with an AI digital coach. Over 19,000,000 people and thousand of employers have paid access to the service where 5,000 counselors can take over any conversation, or deliver therapy in parallel.

Over 10 scientific studies have already been published by Stanford, Northwestern, and Duke Universities, proving the efficacy of the service. Randomized controlled trials found the automated chat service to decrease symptoms by as much as 18% for anxiety (GAD-8), and 28% for depression (PHQ-9). Moreover, X2 AI was awarded over $1,200,000 in grant funding from NIH, NIMH, PCORI, to support 13 additional ongoing studies.

X2 has customers in four verticals: employers / EAPs, healthcare systems / payers, higher education, and non-profits, and works with companies including Johns Hopkins Medical, Coca-Cola, AARP Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield, County of Monterey, Northwestern University, and The Chopra Foundation. Michiel holds the position of chief executive officer, after previously gaining experience in corporate finance, risk insurance, and innovation, working for a variety of companies, including IBM and Marsh / Mercer.