Interview
In conversation with
Hannes Klöpper
Hannes Klöpper is scaling evidence-based mental health with HelloBetter, digital therapeutics rigorously tested in randomized controlled trials and built to fit real reimbursement. Think prescription-grade programs for depression, anxiety, pain, and insomnia—delivered on any device, with guidance from in-house psychologists—and already used by well over 100,000 patients. The thesis is disciplined: prove outcomes, win payer trust, and blend technology with human support so access is both credible and continuous.
Care follows reimbursement.
Klöpper’s route from edtech to DTx sharpened one conviction: outcomes you can measure are outcomes you can scale. HelloBetter ships only programs backed by randomized controlled trials, then pursues medical-device approval and reimbursement—six of ten therapies are already prescription-based in Germany, with international expansion underway (including an FDA Breakthrough Device designation for a Panic program). What differentiates adoption isn’t software alone but human-supported delivery: guided onboarding, progress tracking, and psychologist coaching that keep people engaged. Inside the company, a remote-first culture pairs mission cues (patient stories, feedback) with ownership (virtual shares) and continuous learning. Klöpper is pragmatic about timelines—healthcare moves slowly until it moves deeply—and clear about guardrails: ethical AI, privacy by design, and incentives that reward proven benefit rather than noise.
Lessons from HelloBetter:
Evidence That Scales Access
What we cover
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How randomized controlled trials convert digital mental health into payer-trusted care pathways
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Why reimbursement strategies (e.g., prescription coverage in Germany) matter more than hype for real-world scale
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How human guidance alongside software sustains engagement and outcomes across conditions
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Which leadership practices—mission signals, ownership, continuous learning—build resilient remote-first teams
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Where policy and ethics intersect—AI governance, privacy, and approval pathways that reward evidence, not inertia
Hannes Klöpper is the CEO of the digital therapeutics company HelloBetter, responsible for strategy and investor relations. From 2011 to 2017 he co-founded and led the edtech start-up iversity (now part of Springer Nature), an online platform specializing in higher and professional development. Previously he co-authored “The University in the 21st Century” after studying International Relations at Technische Universität Dresden, Liberal Arts at the European College of Liberal Arts, and Public Policy at the Hertie School in Berlin and Columbia University in New York.
About
Hannes Klöpper
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