Marvin Homburg & Lara von Petersdorff-Gossler
Why did we start in the first place?
Lara and Marvin, the founders of Lytt [lʏt̚] - which later became Evermood - have been close friends since their university days, studying business administration together at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster. Through case study competitions and various joint projects, they discovered how their skills and strengths complement each other perfectly. Together, they founded the University of Münster Case Club, a student initiative which grew into the largest case study competition for students in Europe.
After completing their bachelor's degree, both pursued a master's at Copenhagen Business School. However, in September 2018, they returned to Germany to work on their idea – Lytt.
The inspiration for Lytt came from two key experiences. At Lara’s previous workplace, a case of discrimination highlighted the need for better support systems, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement. At the same time, Marvin, working at a multinational company, observed the limitations of existing whistleblowing systems. While these systems effectively addressed white-collar crimes, they failed to accommodate anonymous reports of sensitive issues like harassment, bullying, burnout, or other interpersonal conflicts.
After weeks of research, we realized that this was a widespread problem. Many employees avoided reporting workplace issues due to a lack of discretion and fear of retaliation, often continuing to endure these grievances to avoid further discrimination associated with speaking out. Additionally, we found that many employees desired lower-threshold solutions to help them navigate workplace conflicts:
Despite the fact that over 200 million workdays are lost due to mental health conditions each year ($16.8 billion in employee productivity), mental health remains a taboo subject. In fact, almost 60% of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status. [HBR, 2019]
With this in mind, we created Lytt - the first digital assistant through which employees could anonymously and securely communicate misconduct, concerns and feedback, and receive help in a protected dialogue.
This is Lytt!
In February 2019, Lytt GmbH became a publicly acknowledged company, we moved to Berlin, and in October 2019, into our first own office.
Our pivot from Lytt to Evermood
In October 2019 we had to realize that many companies showed high initial interest in Lytt, however the willingness to pay was just not high enough. Even though we were experimenting a lot on pricing and communication, our conversion rate of closing deals was too low.
While the problem was very obvious on the employee side, Lytt was not a top priority topic for companies.
This is Evermood!
In June 2020 we started with the new approach to realize employee assistance effectively and at low barriers and managed to make a difference in the everyday (working) lives of many people, with enterprises, startups and the public sector being some of our first customers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy5IA-4CM-M&t=197s
Evermood wins HR Start-up of the Year
At the renowned HR Management Congress in Berlin, Evermood was honored as HR Start-up of the Year 2022. In the seventh edition of this prestigious award, organized by the Federal Association of HR Managers (BPM), 51 companies applied to showcase their innovations for modern HR work. Evermood stood out with its visionary pitch and technological expertise, securing the top spot and impressing the expert audience.
Evermood joins Acture
In October 2023, Evermood proudly became part of Acture, a leader in private social insurance based in the Netherlands, marking the launch of Acture Germany and opening new doors for collaboration and growth.
This strategic partnership enables us to significantly expand our services and offer even more comprehensive solutions for employee well-being. With nearly 200 customers – including major enterprises and startups – we take pride in making a meaningful difference while also growing the Evermood family to nearly 40 team members.
Together with move UP, KI.M and My7steps we are building a powerful network dedicated to transforming workplace health and extending our support and services to even more individuals.
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This is our product today: www.evermood.com
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Evermood changes management
In October 2024, Evermood enters another exciting chapter as Marie steps into the role of our Managing Director, succeeding our founders Lara and Marvin.
Having been part of the company since the start and most recently leading our Customer Success team, she brings deep expertise, passion, and a clear vision for the future.
Lara and Marvin remain closely connected to Evermood, taking on new leadership roles within Acture Group while continuing to support our mission.
With Marie at the helm, we look forward to strengthening our commitment to workplace well-being and evolving our solutions to meet the needs of our 200+ customers – including major enterprises and startups – and over half a million of their employees. We take pride in making a meaningful impact while also growing the Evermood family to over 40 team members, and look forward to all of the exciting possibilities ahead.
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For more information, check out:
Our Company Group - Acture Germany
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