Verónica Montesinos named new CEO of Aurela, the digital psychological therapy startup from GCO Ventures

"With more than 25 years of experience, Montesinos joins GCO's corporate venturing vehicle's fourth project to begin a phase of strategic growth and consolidation"

Verónica Montesinos has been appointed the new CEO of Aurela, the digital startup backed by GCO Ventures that facilitates access to verified psychologists through a personalised and flexible service, with online, face-to-face and hybrid delivery methods, transforming the way patients and psychologists meet and relate.

With a degree in Business Administration and executive training from IMD, INESDI and IESE, she has over 25 years of experience in business creation and scaling, development of strategic alliances and team leadership. In her most recent role, she was the founder and CEO of Dana Health, where she led the development of an innovative mental health solution in collaboration with the clinical research ecosystem. From now on, she will lead Aurela's strategic drive and consolidation, with the aim of strengthening its sustainable growth and its goal of improving access to mental health and empowering professionals committed to psychological wellbeing.

In her own words, 'taking the leadership of Aurela Health means driving an impactful project that, through innovative solutions, facilitates access to necessary therapies for a population with a high prevalence of mental health disorders and unmet demand.'

Aurela, GCO Ventures' fourth startup

According to data from the Spanish Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (SEPSM), 29% of the Spanish population suffers or has suffered from some type of mental disorder, most of which are mild or moderate. Now that mental health is a growing priority, GCO Ventures, GCO's corporate venturing vehicle, launched Aurela last October. The platform was created with the goal of simplifying the process of finding a psychologist who is straightforward, compassionate and trustworthy, while also offering professionals a space for community and growth.

Aurela stands out from other platforms by bringing together customised patient referrals and the creation of an active professional community, with spaces for training and supervision.

For patients, the proposal includes an initial analysis of their needs and preferences by Aurela, in order to find the ideal psychologist among more than 20 specialities. From there, the patient can choose their preferred psychologist to begin therapy, as well as the delivery method (online, in-person, or hybrid), with the guarantee of working with specialised and verified professionals.

In this regard, the CEO of Aurela states that 'we are committed to digitalisation and innovation as levers to improve adherence to treatments and, at the same time, provide therapists and organisations committed to mental health with more resources, research and tools that reinforce the scope and effectiveness of their work in patient wellbeing.'

GCO Ventures: commitment to innovative projects

GCO Ventures was launched in 2023. Its goal is to contribute to the long-term growth of GCO by identifying, building and launching new businesses that answer the needs of society.

Since then, different ventures have been promoted in strategic sectors: Adecua, dedicated to adapting housing for the elderly; Vivara, which offers secure and guaranteed home rentals; Musky, which offers veterinary and civil liability coverage for pets; and Aurela, which expands access to mental health with a digital and human approach.