On August 17, BiPSEE Co., Ltd. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) announced that it had completed a third-party allocation of shares as the second closing of its Series A funding round. Combined with a grant from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), the total amount raised will reach 990 million yen.
BiPSEE is developing “VR Digital Therapy (VRx),” a treatment method using VR and smartphone apps for mental illnesses, primarily depression. The funds raised will be used to advance ongoing clinical trials (confirmatory trials) and to strengthen the system for obtaining regulatory approval.
This development stems from the limitations of existing treatments. While depression is estimated to affect 5 million people in Japan and 300 million worldwide, only one in three cases achieve remission with the antidepressants initially prescribed. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also considered effective, but its implementation rate in psychiatric clinics remains at only a few percent.
Based on these challenges, BiPSEE has focused on the tendency towards “rumination,” which is considered difficult to treat with antidepressants, and has been developing a treatment method. In 2025, they conducted an exploratory trial in collaboration with Kochi University and confirmed a reduction in depression scores. VRx, which is currently under development, has been designated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an item subject to priority review for programmed medical devices.
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
