Maia

What do they actually do

Maia is a consumer mobile app for couples on iOS and Android. Partners set up a shared chat with an AI assistant (also called Maia) and interact by text or voice. The app provides conversation prompts, coaching-style suggestions, date ideas, quizzes, and short exercises, plus daily questions and activities designed to keep small, regular check‑ins going rather than one‑off sessions ourmaia.com · App Store · Product Hunt · YC.

In the shared chat, Maia offers real‑time suggestions such as scripts and de‑escalation prompts, and it emphasizes a “third wheel” coach experience—not a substitute for licensed therapy ourmaia.com · TechCrunch. The company has pushed voice as a major feature; third‑party coverage calls out tone/voice analysis use cases, and users can speak to Maia or reflect on heated moments using voice mode Product Hunt · TrendHunter. Today the app also caps messaging between partners and signals a future paid tier for therapist‑crafted programs and unlimited messaging TechCrunch.

Early traction signals include a high App Store rating and steady launch coverage, but the company has not published user, revenue, or retention metrics publicly App Store · YC · TechCrunch · Product Hunt · ourmaia.com.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Time‑pressed partners who want quick, regular check‑ins: They struggle to schedule therapy or long sessions and prefer short, guided prompts and exercises to keep conversations moving during busy weeks. Maia’s daily questions and micro‑activities fit this pattern ourmaia.com · YC.
• Couples stuck in recurring arguments needing in‑the‑moment help: They want immediate scripts and de‑escalation tactics during conflicts, not weeks later in an appointment. Maia provides real‑time prompts in the shared chat to manage fights as they happen ourmaia.com · TechCrunch.
• Long‑distance or busy‑schedule couples maintaining emotional rituals: They lack steady shared touchpoints and drift between check‑ins. Shared chat, date ideas, and daily prompts help create small, consistent rituals together ourmaia.com · TechCrunch.
• People avoiding therapy due to cost, stigma, or access: They want a private, always‑available coaching tool that feels lower‑stakes than formal therapy. Maia positions itself as continuous, accessible coaching rather than treatment ourmaia.com/about · YC.
• Partners who want to reflect on heated moments using voice: They want to record or analyze fights and get guidance from audio interactions. Maia’s voice mode and press‑highlighted tone/voice analysis support this use case Product Hunt · TrendHunter.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Directly recruit couples from founders’ networks and YC, hand‑hold onboarding, and exchange extended free access for detailed feedback, case studies, and public reviews YC · ourmaia.com.
• First 50: Leverage Product Hunt and tech press to drive sign‑ups, offer time‑limited premium trials, and implement a simple referral incentive (extra free weeks per invited couple) Product Hunt · TechCrunch · App Store.
• First 100: Run targeted social ads and app‑store optimization alongside pilots with relationship coaches/therapists/creators who can recommend Maia; use those endorsements in onboarding and ads, with clear upsells to therapist‑crafted programs and unlimited messaging ourmaia.com/about · TechCrunch.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Reports estimate the global online couples‑therapy/counseling market around $16B in 2023, growing toward ~$26B by 2028, while broader mental‑health apps are measured in the single‑digit billions today ResearchAndMarkets · Grand View Research.

Bottom-up calculation:

In the U.S. there are ~68M couple households; with ~90% smartphone ownership that’s roughly 61M couples who can use a mobile app. At a $70/year subscription, 1% penetration implies ≈ $43M/year U.S. Census · Pew Research · Grand View Research.

Assumptions:

• ~90% U.S. smartphone ownership enables app access for most couples Pew Research.
• Consumer subscription reference price ≈ $70/year based on common mental‑health app pricing ranges Grand View Research.
• Illustrative adoption scenarios use 1–10% penetration of U.S. couples to translate users into revenue.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Paired: Mobile app for couples with daily questions, quizzes, and short exercises; partners pair phones and see each other’s answers, overlapping with Maia’s daily prompt use case Paired support.
• Lasting: Self‑guided couples‑therapy app with structured modules (communication, intimacy, etc.) and optional therapist‑led content—more programmatic than real‑time in‑chat coaching ChoosingTherapy review.
• Relish: Relationship training app with interactive lessons and access to human coaches; overlaps with the premium, program‑based coaching Maia plans to offer Trinity Ventures.
• Between: Private couples messaging and memory app focused on shared chat, photos, timelines, and reminders—more a lightweight shared space than an AI coach.
• Coupleness: Simple daily check‑in app asking partners quick questions about mood and connection; competes for time‑pressed couples wanting one‑minute rituals over real‑time AI coaching AppBrain.