This Albanian-Finnish Startup is Building Culturally Intelligent AI for Therapy

Bliss, building culturally intelligent AI infrastructure for online therapy, led by Jona Doda and the team, has raised $270,000 in angel funding led by Keiretsu Forum, Finest Love VC, and Plug and Play.

The round combines angel investment and non-dilutive grants and marks the first Albanian-Finnish startup investment for Keiretsu Forum, Finest Love VC, and Plug and Play.

Bliss addresses a challenge often overlooked in mental health: culture. More than 800 million people live outside their country of origin, yet most therapy platforms and AI mental health tools are designed for monolingual, culturally homogeneous markets. Translation alone is insufficient, cultural context is critical in therapy.

Bliss combines licensed therapists across more than 10 countries with AI-powered cultural and linguistic matching. A broader focus centers on therapist-trained digital companions, supervised AI extensions modeled on a therapist’s style, tone, and approach.

Unlike generic AI therapy bots entering the market, Bliss positions its AI as infrastructure that augments human care rather than replacing it.

“Another chatbot is not the goal,” said founder Jona Doda, a London School of Economics alumna. “The focus is AI that understands the cultural layer of mental health, where many systems fall short.”

Early Traction

Bliss reports more than 50 licensed therapists onboarded and users across 10 countries. Early B2B traction includes partnerships with Raiffeisen Bank and We Love Mondays, while development continues on its first supervised AI companion.

The company operates between Tirana and Helsinki, drawing on Finland’s deep tech ecosystem and Albania’s growing startup scene.

Backed by Global Innovation Leaders

Bliss is supported by global investors, including Keiretsu Forum, one of the largest angel networks spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.

Backers also include Finest Love VC, led by Slush founder and Angry Birds creator Peter Vesterbacka and Tallinn–Helsinki tunnel advocate Kustaa Valtonen. Silicon Valley innovation platform Plug and Play, known for early investments in PayPal and Dropbox, is also among the investors.

“Jona is an exceptional founder with relentless drive, which led to early confidence in Bliss,” said Ravik Mima, CEO of Keiretsu Forum SEE. “While many people already turn to AI for emotional support, most systems were never designed for real care. Bliss is building a long-term model: clinically grounded, culturally aware AI with strong human guardrails and access to world-class therapists when needed.”

The Bigger Bet

The mental health tech market is crowded with AI therapy tools built on large language models. Bliss is betting the next phase will favor culturally specialized, clinician-supervised systems.

The new funding will support the launch of therapist-trained AI companions, expansion into diaspora markets, including the U.S., and stronger B2B partnerships. Bliss aims to position AI as a culturally aware extension of human therapists rather than a replacement.