Why Mental Health Startups – Not Technology Companies – Are Winning Top Awards in Colorado

Mental health startups are taking the spotlight in Colorado, and it’s not just about innovation—it’s about solving some of the most pressing issues in our communities. This year, out of the three finalists, two were mental health startups, underscoring the rising importance of mental health care in our state. Axis Integrated Mental Health is a prime example of how mental health startups are making an impact.

ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top Startup of the Year award is no small achievement. For the past 37 years, this award has recognized companies across Colorado that excel in three key areas: Financial Performance, Outstanding Achievement, and Community Involvement. To be eligible, companies must show that they are not only successful in the marketplace but also making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Let’s take a closer look at why mental health startups like Axis are leading the way and what we’ve learned from our journey to becoming a top startup in Colorado.

Success by Giving, Not Taking

At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we’re proud to have excelled in financial performance, outstanding achievement, and community involvement. But what sets us apart isn’t just our financial growth; it’s how we’ve succeeded by giving back rather than focusing on maximizing profit. Instead of following the traditional startup model of hoarding resources, we’ve made it a priority to give away life-changing treatments, like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), to patients who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

This philosophy of giving has transformed countless lives. One of the most powerful moments in our journey came when a CBS News segment featured our work and a patient testimonial, showing how our pro bono program to patients struggling with treatment-resistant depression changed her life. The segment sparked a wave of interest, bringing more patients to our doors who were in desperate need of care.

The lesson we learned was clear: when you prioritize people over profit, incredible things happen. We’ve seen firsthand how offering these life-saving treatments for free not only changes lives but also strengthens our business. It’s a ripple effect—by giving people the care they need, we’ve built trust, loyalty, and a reputation for being more than just another clinic. We’re a community hub for healing.

Combating Toxic Startup Culture: Creating Space for Mental Health

Another factor that contributed to our recognition as a top startup is our commitment to creating a healthy workplace culture. Startup culture is notorious for being toxic, with an “all work, no rest” mentality that pushes employees to the brink of burnout. In fact, our cofounder Liesl Perez talks about her experiences often and how that has informed the kind of company she wanted to create with her husband, Chris Perez. Axis, we’ve made it a mission to combat that toxic culture by ensuring everyone has the time and space to care for their own mental health through Colorado’s FAMLI Leave program.

Building a Culture Where Everyone Thrives

At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we know that thriving employees lead to thriving businesses. We invest in our people because we know that when they’re at their best, they deliver the best care to our patients. But cultures like this don’t just happen. One of the most transformative experiences for our team at Axis was a full-day equine therapy retreat. We shut down three clinics for the day—an expensive decision not just in terms of the cost of the experience but also the lost revenue from closing the clinics. But the results were worth every penny. Here's a glimpse into the heart of what makes Axis special. Our success is rooted in more than just innovation—it’s in how we treat each other and our patients.

Equine therapy taught us invaluable lessons about teamwork and collaboration. We learned that we could only move a horse when we worked together—much like how treatment providers, therapists, and clinicians need to collaborate to fully understand a patient’s needs. This lesson resonated deeply with our approach to mental health care: we’re more than a medication-prescribing clinic. Our success comes from treating the whole person, involving multiple perspectives and expertise to ensure comprehensive care.

This investment in our team’s well-being is also one of the reasons we were recognized as a top startup. We’re proof that when you create space for mental health in the workplace, you get a more innovative, productive, and engaged team. The energy we put into building a supportive, non-toxic environment comes back to us in the form of better ideas, better patient care, and ultimately, a better community.

Why Mental Health Startups Are Thriving in Colorado

Colorado is facing a mental health crisis. With rising rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout, there’s an increasing demand for innovative solutions that go beyond traditional care models. This is where mental health startups are stepping in, offering a fresh approach to treatment, patient care, and accessibility.

Mental health startups in Colorado are addressing these challenges by focusing on the holistic well-being of patients. At Axis, we don’t just prescribe medication and send patients on their way. We understand that addressing mental health requires a comprehensive approach that includes therapy, advanced treatments, and ongoing support. This approach is one of the reasons we were recognized with the Top Startup award—because we prioritize the whole person.

Why Mental Health Matters More Than Technologies of the Past

In a world where startups are often defined by how quickly they scale or adopt the latest tech, mental health startups are proving that mental health care matters more than the latest gadget. We’ve seen too many startups that were once darlings of the tech world fail because they focused too much on replacing humans with technology.

At Axis, we believe technology should support humans, not replace them. That’s why we’re committed to enhancing the clinician-patient relationship, not automating it out of existence. Human connection is the most powerful tool we have in the fight against mental health issues. In fact, we’ve seen an upward trend in in-person visits, proving that what people need most is connection, compassion, and collaboration, not just a prescription. 

A Blueprint for Success: Mental Health Startups Leading the Way

It’s clear that mental health startups like Axis are making waves because we focus on more than just financials. We’re solving real problems in our communities, innovating through compassionate care, and rejecting the toxic hustle culture that so many startups fall into.

By putting people first—whether it’s our patients or our employees—we’re not only building a successful business, but we’re also showing the world that mental health matters more than the latest technology trends that were once the darling of the startup world. And for that, we are proud to be recognized as a leader in both business and mental health.

Ultimately, Axis Integrated Mental Health was named ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top Startup of the Year because we do more than treat symptoms. We deliver the people, processes, and medical technologies that transform lives. We believe that when meds, therapy, and treatment providers work together to understand the full scope of a patient’s needs, we create lasting change. Just like moving that horse in equine therapy, it takes a team effort to see true progress in mental health care.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we became ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top Startup and how we’re shaping the future of mental health care, we invite you to reach out, follow our journey, and stay connected as we continue to innovate, grow, and care for the people who need it most.