LDC backs myHappymind to expand curriculum-aligned digital lessons for school mental health
This article covers myHappymind, a Cheshire-based healthtech startup, which secured a minority investment from LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, in a growth funding round completed on 23 December 2025 to fund expansion into more schools in the UK and abroad and further product development. The funding is intended to help schools deliver preventative mental health support at scale, supporting pupils, families and the nearly 1,900 UK schools already using its programmes.
Cheshire-based myHappymind, a healthtech startup, has secured a minority investment from LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, in a growth funding round that will fund expansion into more schools in the UK and abroad and further product development. The deal matters because it pairs a digital mental wellbeing provider used by nearly 1,900 schools with a regionally active private equity partner at a time when schools are under pressure to deliver preventative mental health support.
Why it matters
Children’s mental health indicators and waiting lists for specialist support have placed growing demand on schools to provide early intervention. myHappymind’s programmes aim to help schools deliver preventative support at scale by combining ready-made lesson plans, resources for families and outcome data. That approach targets a longstanding gap: schools need practical, curriculum-aligned tools and evidence of impact while specialist services struggle with capacity.
Inside the product
myHappymind, founded in 2017 by Laura Earnshaw, offers digital, interactive content designed to build resilience, teach self-regulation and create positive wellbeing cultures across whole schools and nurseries. The platform includes libraries of lesson guides and resources intended for classroom delivery and family use. A recently launched module, myHappymind Plus, extends coverage of the PSHE curriculum to provide broader support for children and young people.
The company says it currently supplies materials to more than 1,900 UK schools and reaches hundreds of thousands of children and families. In 2023 myHappymind secured NHS Innovation Accelerator status, signalling recognised potential for social impact in health provision. The organisation is B Corp certified and won a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2025 as well as the Judges’ Overall Award at the Northern Tech Awards.
Founder perspective
In the announcement, Laura Earnshaw, CEO and Founder of myHappymind, said:
I founded myHappymind with a clear vision: to make positive mental wellbeing education part of everyday school life. Our team has since created programmes that are transforming outcomes for children and families, showing that prevention in schools is both possible and powerful.
In the announcement, Laura Earnshaw, CEO and Founder of myHappymind, said:
This partnership with LDC marks an exciting new chapter for us. The LDC team share our vision and bring the sector experience and network we need to help us expand our reach. Their support will be invaluable as we continue to grow and make a difference to young people’s mental health.
Who are the investors?
The minority investment was made by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group. The deal was led by LDC’s North West team and completed on 23 December 2025. LDC’s deal team included Dale Alderson, Head of the North West and Partner, Grant Goodwin, Investment Director, and Alex Kirkby, Investment Manager.
LDC positions itself as an investor that supports regional management teams to scale. The firm has a track record of technology investments; over the past decade it says it has invested more than £755m into technology businesses with a combined enterprise value of about £2bn. Examples cited in the announcement include Texthelp (now Everway), a global provider of numeracy and literacy assistive technologies, and Avantis, which develops virtual-reality learning tools. Those examples illustrate LDC’s experience with platform-based, education-focused technology businesses.
In the announcement, Dale Alderson, Head of the North West and Partner at LDC, said:
We’ve been tracking the success of myHappymind for some time. So, when the opportunity arose to back Laura we knew we had to act quickly, completing the investment within three weeks of being chosen by Laura as her preferred partner.
In the announcement, Grant Goodwin, Investment Director at LDC, said:
Laura has built an exceptional business with real social purpose at its heart. The impact myHappymind is having on children’s mental health outcomes is remarkable. We’re excited to work with Laura and her team to help them fulfil their ambitious growth plans and support even more young people.
The transaction advisers named in the announcement included Alvarez & Marsal (M&A advisory), Hill Dickinson (legal), Mansfield Advisors (commercial) and Cortus (financial) for LDC; JMW Solicitors (legal), Finex Advisory and Silverpeak Capital (M&A advisory) advised myHappymind.
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The bigger picture
The investment highlights a broader trend: demand for preventative, curriculum-aligned mental wellbeing tools is rising as schools seek scalable, evidence-informed responses to pupil need. myHappymind’s NHS Innovation Accelerator status and B Corp certification position it at the intersection of edtech and healthtech, where payers and purchasers increasingly expect measurable outcomes.
For institutional and regional investors such as LDC, backing businesses that combine platform distribution in schools with demonstrable social impact is becoming a clearer proposition. The deal also reflects how regional private equity can play a role in scaling UK-founded digital health solutions beyond domestic markets.
This funding round will be watched by healthtech investors and education providers looking for models that reduce pressure on specialist services by strengthening prevention in schools, and it adds to momentum for startups developing digital wellbeing services across the UK and Europe.
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