Regulate Raises €1.4 Million Seed to Bring Science-Backed Breathwork to the Workplace

Regulate, a breathwork platform, has successfully closed a Seed funding round of €1.4 million. The investment was led by 4impact.vc, an impact investor, and supported by an angel syndicate that includes prominent figures such as Hanno Renner (Co-Founder & CEO of Personio), Mike Wax (Co-Founder of Forto), Marlena Hien (Co-Founder of Bears with Benefits), and Felix Haas (10x Group, IDnow, Bits & Pretzels).

Founded in 2024 by Peter van Woerkum, CEO and a certified breathwork and executive coach with over a decade of C-level advisory experience, and Paul Laechelin, former Product Lead for the BMW App, Regulate is built on the conviction that breathwork is the most direct and scientifically proven method to enhance focus, stress response, and resilience. The company aims to integrate these practices into the modern workplace, addressing the increasing pressures faced by professionals.

The Scientific Approach and Technology for Well-being

The Regulate platform has developed an application offering a library of over 60 science-backed sessions, with durations ranging from 90 seconds to 60 minutes. These sessions were created in collaboration with scientific advisor Prof. Dr. Hottenrott, a leading European authority on Heart Rate Variability and its role in human performance and recovery, from Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. The goal is not to provide generic mindfulness sessions, but to offer targeted interventions at the right moment.

This contextual intelligence is powered by wearables and workday systems. By reading physiological signals from connected devices and understanding the structure of the user’s workday, Regulate can recommend personalized sessions aligned with the user’s current state and the demands of the day. This positions Regulate as the first breathwork platform to function as an on-demand performance tool, providing specific support before high-stakes meetings, after intense discussions, or as a team session before a workshop.

Impact on the Workplace and the AI Challenge

According to Peter van Woerkum, breathwork is a proven way to shift from stress to clarity in real-time, accessible and capable of building resilience that compounds over time. In an era where pressures are mounting and artificial intelligence (AI) raises the bar for what organizations can produce, expectations on professionals have never been higher. Regulate aims to help people meet these demands sustainably by embedding breathwork into existing team workflows, without adding another source of stress.

The platform also provides aggregated usage and impact dashboards, giving HR and leadership teams visibility into team-level adoption patterns and trends without compromising individual privacy. In less than a year, Regulate has completed over 50,000 sessions across various organizations, and its enterprise pipeline represents over €9 million in potential Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Among the organizations already using Regulate are Raiffeisen Bank International, Vattenfall, and Personio, as well as global enterprises and management consultancies.

Future Prospects and the Importance of Investment

Victor Straatman, Partner at 4impact.vc, highlighted the alignment between Regulate's business model and its positive impact. The company improves how people perform and how they feel, allowing them to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment. Data shows that, at scale, this combination is a very compelling solution for overall well-being.

The capital raised will be used to accelerate the company's growth, deepen product capabilities, expand its live-format offerings, and grow its team. This strategic investment will allow Regulate to consolidate its position in the corporate wellness market, responding to the growing demand for effective tools for stress management and performance improvement in increasingly demanding professional contexts.