Benefit Systems is expanding its portfolio with the Focusly mobile application that focuses on learning how to relax, reducing stress and managing emotions. Buying 100% of shares in the Focusly start-up, which belongs to the Daftcode technology group, aims at acquiring know-how in the dynamically developing mental health segment and strengthening the MultiLife programme with a mobile application supporting employees’ mental condition. Market analyses clearly show that the demand for online solutions connected with mental health has grown rapidly during the pandemic.
– Focusly is a modern, extremely intuitive, rich in content and functionality mobile application the great advantage of which is also the possibility of appropriate scaling in the coming years – says Bartosz Józefiak, Management Board Member at Benefit Systems responsible for the finances of the Capital Group. – The investment in Focusly is another step in the development of the MultiLife programme offer which focuses on the needs of employees, both in the area of physical health, including properly selected life activities, and mental condition. We can see that the demand for mental health services has increased significantly since last year, so we are glad that we will be able to offer employers and their employees such an attractive solution as Focusly – adds Bartosz Józefiak.
Focusly is an application for learning to relax as well as practising meditation and mindfulness that operates in the subscription model, which has been intensively developed by Daftcode for several months, mainly for Polish-speaking users. The application has an extensive library of specialist content and breathing exercises designed by certified experts interested in various trends in meditation and mindfulness as well as psychologists.
– During the pandemic, when we could not go outside, many people began to wander inside themselves, looking for meditation sessions that would help them deal with stress – says Jędrzej Szcześniak, co-founder and managing partner at Daftcode. – That’s when Focusly gained popularity. When creating the content, we wanted the first Polish meditation application to offer the highest quality, which is why the Focusly team cooperated with the best mindfulness experts in the country and abroad. Today, it features over 350 relaxation and meditation sessions, and new content is added on a regular basis. In the coming months we will continue to support Focusly in terms of business and content to maintain continuity in providing users with relaxing material at the highest level. We are delighted that the start-up developed at Daftcode is being transferred to such a large and recognised partner as Benefit Systems – adds Jędrzej Szcześniak.
According to the Global Wellbeing Survey 2021, during the pandemic 42% of employees experienced a deterioration in mental health, one in three had problems with concentration at work, one in five needed more time to fulfil their professional duties and 15% experienced problems with reasoning and making decisions. Currently, almost half of the employers in Europe participating in the Great Place to Work survey (“Stress and Wellbeing at Work: A European Outlook”) consider stress to be a key problem in their organisations and 65% of them confirm that the health and wellbeing of employees has become a strategic priority. As a result, the interest in solutions supporting employers in the proper management of employees’ psychophysical health has increased significantly.
– Focusly is a response to the needs and challenges that we have been facing for many months. The intuitive application guides the user along a specific path, thanks to which he or she can achieve the set goal, for example improve the quality of sleep or reduce stress. We can already see how much we will be able to offer our customers in the coming months as well as how to expand the application to address the needs of employees in mental health, psychological condition and positive emotions even better – explains Joanna Skoczeń, President of VanityStyle responsible for the integration process and further development of the application on behalf of the Benefit Systems Group.
Benefit Systems has purchased 100% of shares in the Focusly company, which was created after separating the project from the Daftcode technology group. The investment means obtaining the application, content along with copyrights, including licenses and sub-licenses, as well as the know-how and experienced team that makes up Focusly. The application will be available, among others, in the subscription model as part of the MultiLife programme.