Let’s explore our amazing 2020 cohort. In the spotlight for today is Acertivo,  the Mindest Fitness Gym for productivity in the workplace and beyond.

The Team behind the startup 

Hi guys. I’m Toni Gherca. I started Acertivo almost a year ago, together with two other co-founders: Irina Paraschiv, our Lead Scientist, and Lucian Ghinda, in charge of software engineering. Currently, my role is primarily in Product Management. This is our first venture together, but we have some entrepreneurial spirit in our past, either through intrapreneurial projects, launching communities, or just plain self-employment. 

Why did you choose the StepFWD program?

We’ve seen StepFWD’s format focused on knowledge sharing and access to top advisors as the perfect opportunity to set the scaffolding of our startup. It really gives you ample resources to advance your project as long as you’re willing to put in the hours. Also, as a mixed team ourselves, we appreciated the emphasis placed on diversity. As this is a rising topic in the startup ecosystem, it is a sign of forward-thinking (wordplay intended :). Nonetheless, the timing was just right, as the start of the program coincided with a period in which we shifted our focus and time commitment from previous activities to building Acertivo.

Why did you pick this project to work on?

According to the WHO, by 2030, mental health problems (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. And even if it affects 1 in 5 people, most of the time it goes on untreated. But mental health is just like physical health, only a bit more difficult to see to the naked eye. And just like physical health, mental issues can be prevented. 

Our vision for Acertivo is to make it easy for everyone to improve their mental health through Mindset Fitness™. Ambitious? Absolutely. Moonshot? Maybe. But think about it this way: neither physical fitness was a widespread concern until the 70s when jogging became mainstream. 

Curious about their current progress? See their startup showcase at Demo Day 2020