Meet Jaron Soh, Co-founder & CEO of LGBTQIA+ Mental Wellness App: Voda

Tell us about Voda.

 

Voda is the digital mental health companion for every LGBTQIA+ experience.
In 2025, the rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ political rhetoric, hate speech protections being removed by Meta and pushback in DEI is creating a LGBTQIA+ mental health crisis. According to Stonewall, nearly 52% of LGBTQIA+ individuals have experienced depression in the last year. Despite this, existing mental health solutions often fail to cater to the challenges LGBTQIA+ individuals face such as gay shame, gender dysphoria, and stigma.

This is where Voda comes in. We offer AI-powered mental health support by blending clinical expertise with technology, providing a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals to access discreet mental health support at any time, anywhere.

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 

Voda is deeply personal for me. Growing up in Singapore, being gay wasn’t just stigmatised but also illegal. I spent years hiding who I was, and it took a long time for me to seek the mental health support I needed. When I finally did, I realised how transformative therapy was for me and I thought my friends needed it too.

But it was also clear that existing mental health solutions didn’t understand the struggles of people like us. That gap stuck with me and I couldn’t ignore it – and I wanted to build a platform that provides the kind of support that I and so many others have needed. Then along came Voda.

 

 

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

 

Build for a community, and speak to them regularly.

It sounds simple but it’s slightly more nuanced than seeing your customers as ‘users’ or dollar-signs, but rather a community that you can speak to, engage, and bounce ideas with.

Our strength lies in our deep connection with our LGBTQIA+ community. We regularly hear from users who tell us Voda has helped them feel understood in ways other apps haven’t. And when we fall short they unabashedly share feedback with us on how we can be better. And when people love us – they’re super strong advocates, many of them who work in charities or are therapists themselves.

 

What most excites you about Voda?

 

2025 will be an awful year for LGBTQIA+ people. I’m not so much excited about the state of the world, but I’m extremely motivated to work to support our community – not just in self-care, but communal care.

We realised that many of our community not just want to take care of themselves (do meditations, AI-based journaling for growth), but they also want to help others. In our roadmap this year we’re launching “communal care” features where people can support one another, spotlight fellow LGBTQIA+ organisations and the movements they believe in. I’m excited about this because it’s not something that other mental health apps would’ve thought to build!

 

How has the company evolved since it was set up?

 

We started with a no-code MVP and have since launched a fully developed app on iOS and Android and Apple made us “App of the Day” just last month. We’ve grown so much in months and are now almost at 30,000 users globally!

 

What can we hope to see from Voda in the future?

 

We’re focused on expanding our user base and continuing to build partnerships with LGBTQIA+ charities and healthcare providers to extend our impact.

We’re also planning to raise additional funding to enhance our app with additional AI-driven mental health insights tailored to queer experiences. As we grow, we’re dedicated to evolving alongside our community’s needs, addressing topics like trans health, queer resilience, and systemic oppression. Our goal is to ensure that every LGBTQIA+ person has access to the mental health resources they deserve, no matter where they are in the world.