Mave Health targets better focus and mood with a brain-stimulation headset

In recent years, a growing number of startups have been exploring ways to address issues such as depression, menstrual pain, PMS, anxiety, and insomnia through wearable devices that stimulate the brain using electrical, magnetic, or ultrasonic signals.

San Francisco-based Mave Health is the latest entrant in this space, introducing a neuromodulation headset priced at $495. The company claims the device can enhance attention and mood, help regulate stress, and even track aspects of mental health. By positioning the product as a non-medical device, the startup avoids the need for approval from regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sales in the United States.

The company was founded in 2023 by Dhawal Jain, along with his college peers Jai Sharma (CMO) and Aman Kumar (CTO). Jain said the inspiration for the product came after a deeply personal experience during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when his flatmate’s fiancée died by suicide.

“In India, committing suicide is a crime, which meant there was police involved, and we had to speak to her psychologist. The answers we got from them made us question whether any of it made sense. We started connecting with other psychologists and were getting the same answers,” Jain explained.

The founders felt that mental health care lacked clear, measurable indicators of progress. “For example, if you ask a psychologist how you know if a person is making progress, their response to it is very standard, which is that it’s not about progress. It’s about process […] But for somebody with depression who is spending a lot of time in therapy, progress is important. So how do you know whether they’re making progress? And even these basic questions were not being answered.”

To address this gap, the team began studying neuroscience and consulting with experts. They discovered that while neuromodulation has advanced in research settings, its benefits have not been widely accessible to consumers.

Mave Health initially collaborated with medical device and mental health specialists to test the technology, but later chose to market the headset as a lifestyle product. Jain said this strategy would allow the company to reach a broader audience.

The device and technology

Mave Health’s headset uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive method that delivers low-intensity electrical stimulation to the brain. This technique is sometimes used in psychological applications and is generally regarded as safe, with mild and temporary side effects such as itching or slight discomfort.

The headset delivers a current of 1–2 milliamps to activate neurons. According to the company, the device, which weighs about 100 grams, can be used at any time. It recommends daily sessions of around 20 minutes during the initial weeks of use.

The accompanying mobile app tracks long-term patterns related to mood, focus, and stress. It can also integrate with other health metrics, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Jain said users begin with a self-reported baseline assessment and then complete follow-up evaluations every two to four weeks, enabling the company to monitor whether the device is producing long-term benefits.

The company has not yet conducted formal clinical trials or published peer-reviewed studies. However, Jain stated that during a private beta involving more than 500 users in 2024 and 2025, eight out of ten participants reported a 60% improvement in productivity. Additionally, 75% of users reported reduced stress levels within two months compared to their baseline.

Mave Health also noted that it has conducted four observational studies involving 200 participants, which are currently under academic review and are expected to be published later this year.

Dr Himanshu Nirvan, a psychiatrist based in Delhi who worked with Mave Health as a consultant, said that tDCS-based devices are widely regarded as an effective approach for addressing mental health concerns. However, he mentioned that he has not evaluated the technology specifically from a lifestyle perspective.

The company said it conducted a program in India with Dr Nirvan to test both the device and the underlying technology.

“We did select a lot of patients, and it was essentially a good program in my opinion. Things like that are generally not very frequently and easily available even in the mental health management space,” Dr Nirvan said. “I felt that for a lot of people, tDCS is actually quite a good modality, considering that it’s a very portable device. You can charge it at home and take it anywhere you want, even while you’re travelling.

Leigh Elkins Charvet, a clinical neuropsychologist and Professor of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, noted that while tDCS is considered a safe and effective neuromodulation technique, proper device design and consistent usage are essential.

“One challenge is that consumers may use the device without clinical screening or clear guidance about whether it is appropriate for their symptoms. Another is that it can be difficult for users to determine whether the device is actually helping if outcomes are not being measured in a structured way,” she said.

Charvet also pointed out that the application of tDCS for general lifestyle enhancement in healthy individuals has not been extensively studied. “So far, most of the strongest research has focused on clinical populations or structured cognitive training paradigms. We do not yet have clear guidance or strong evidence supporting the use of tDCS to improve performance in otherwise healthy individuals. A lifestyle use case may still emerge, but that will rely on clearly defining target outcomes and demonstrating that effects are measurable and reproducible,” she explained.

The headset is currently available for preorder, with the company planning to ship its first units to customers in the U.S. and India in April 2026.

Mave Health recently secured $2.1 million in seed funding led by Blume Ventures, with participation from several individual investors, including Tesla Autopilot AI lead Dhaval Shroff. To date, the startup has raised just under $3 million in total funding.