‘Slay In Your Lane’ author secures pre-seed funding for guided journaling app Storia

May, 2023 – Cornerstone VC is delighted to confirm that it has completed a pre seed investment into Storia (www.storia.world), a guided journaling app designed to help people organise their thoughts and unleash their inner voice.

• Storia is a digital tool which combines AI-guided prompts, on-demand sessions, reflective insights, and community connection to provide users with a personalised journaling experience
• The business was founded by Elizabeth Uviebinené, five-times bestselling author and FT columnist, which include notable titles such as ‘Slay in your lane’
• The pre seed round also includes participation from Asi Sharabi Co Founder, CEO of Wonderbly the publishing tech business that produces personalised books for children and adults

The pre seed round also includes participation from a number of notable angels, including Yomi Adegoke, Asi Sharabi, Dr Fiona Pathiraja and Scott Mackin and Ade Hassan MBE.

The business was founded in January 2022 by Elizabeth Uviebinené, five-times bestselling author and FT columnist. Her first book – “Slay in your lane”, co authored with Yomi Adegoke in 2018, is credited with establishing a new category in the publishing market for literature catered for young black women. Given the impact storytelling has had on Elizabeth’s life, she developed the idea of Storia to help people uncover the stories that shape their lives.

In a fast-paced world where individuals often feel disconnected from themselves, resulting in poor mental health, Storia is a guiding light, empowering them to reclaim their inner narratives, cultivate self-awareness, and foster a deeper connection with their authentic selves. Nearly 800 million people, or 11% of the global population, live with a mental health condition, and a recent Deloitte report suggests that mental health-related sickness absences cost UK employers up to £56 billion a year.

Given the increased awareness of mental health issues, accelerated partly by the COVID-19 epidemic and the inability of public health services to cope with new public demand, mobile app services have emerged to address the gap. The market is currently dominated by sleep and meditation focused apps such as Calm and Headspace, but Elizabeth believes a gap exists for a network-driven digital tool that leverages the power of narrative therapy.

For further information on Storia and to join the waiting list ahead of launch later this year, please visit the website at www.storia.world.

Rodney Appiah, Managing Partner commented:

“We are delighted to back Liz and her vision to give everyone an opportunity to tell their own story. Her platform has the potential to unlock the benefits of writing therapy to a wider audience and reimagines a new type of social network with original thought at its core. Cornerstone is delighted to lead this round and look forward to supporting Liz alongside some fantastic angels.”

Elizabeth Uviebinené, Founder and CEO of Storia added:

“We all have a unique story that shapes our lives. But in today’s world, we often feel unable to pause, reflect and take in life’s everyday lessons. We’re here to change that.

People already use the Notes app to capture their thoughts and ideas. Storia takes that one step further and empowers individuals to find their inner story and authentic voice. We will help people separate the signal from the noise.

I’ve long admired the Cornerstone team and believe their people-first approach will be a game changer for many founders. I’m delighted to be on this journey with them.”