Clara Chen, the visionary founder of Universal Health, is reshaping the mental wellness landscape with W3LL Station—a groundbreaking solution that makes preventive mental health screening fast, free, and frictionless. After experiencing the devastating effects of mental illness firsthand, Clara combined her background in deep-tech and venture capital to launch a non-contact face and voice scan that assesses stress, anxiety, and overall wellbeing in just 60 seconds. In this interview, Clara shares her deeply personal journey, the science behind W3LL Station, and why early intervention is the future of mental healthcare.

Q: Tell us about your journey — what inspired you to start Universal Health and create the W3LL Station?

I’ve always been a serial entrepreneur, and I’ve spent the last 20 years building companies, from an investment firm to a nonprofit, but one of the things I’m most proud of is creating a platform that gave around 300,000 platform workers a new way to earn an income.

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the idea that our digital devices can passively pick up patterns in our behaviour through non-invasive methods for collecting physiological data that enable us to easily monitor our wellbeing.

What struck me was the potential to use this to help people exactly when they need it, especially when it comes to mental health.

It was from this germ of an idea that led me to start Universal Health and to the creation of our W3LL stations.

Q: You’ve spoken openly about your personal experience with mental illnesses in your family. How has that shaped the mission behind Universal Health?

Mental health has always been personal to me. Growing up, my mother struggled with schizophrenia, and as a child, I lost her to suicide. Having experienced this at an early age, I understand very well the need for accessible mental wellness solutions in society.

I saw up close how deeply it can affect not just one person, but an entire family. There was so much stigma around mental illness that it often felt impossible to talk about it, let alone get help early. And even when we tried, the system felt confusing and disjointed, like you had to fight just to find the right support.

That experience has stayed with me and shaped everything we’re doing at Universal Health. We’re trying to break down those same barriers by creating tools that help people understand what they’re going through, manage it better, and connect to the care they need.

At the heart of it, my team and I just want to change the way we see and think about mental health, such that interventions are seamlessly weaved into our daily routines and no one actually has to make an intentional effort for mental wellbeing.

Q: What sets the W3LL Station apart from other wellness tools in the market?

People often don’t know what they don’t know. Imagine if checking in on your mental well-being was as easy and normal as taking your temperature. If we see it’s 37°C, we know what to do, which is rest, take a Panadol, or head to the doctor if the fever doesn’t go away. So why don’t we treat our mental health the same way?

We’re trying to make mental health support feel natural and accessible.

That’s why we created the W3LL Station—so people can check in on their well-being in everyday places, without needing to actively seek it out or feel like they’re doing something “extra.” It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s meant for everyone.

But just knowing how you’re doing isn’t enough. You also need to know what to do next.

So, in the next phase, we’re rolling out a companion app that offers personalised suggestions and points people to the right kind of care, because it’s not just about awareness.

It’s about action.

Q: How does the 60-second non-contact face and voice scan work, and what kind of data does it provide to users?

The 60-second challenge entails two non-contact 30-second face and voice scans, which allows us to detect your blood pressure, blood oxygen, heart rate, stress, anxiety and depression levels without ever identifying you. You will receive a screening report with a list of self-management tips, recommendations and wellbeing perks from local brands – all on us!

Q: What role does digital phenotyping play in preventive mental wellness, and how do you envision this evolving in Singapore and beyond?

Our W3LL suite of solutions are designed to change the way we approach mental health, especially when it comes to prevention. Neeraj Kothari, an inventor and engineer with more than a decade of experience in public healthcare, research, and clinical trials, joined me as CTO to turn this idea into reality.

The W3LL Station uses Remote Photoplethysmography or rPPG technology to do a quick, contactless scan of someone’s mental state in just a minute, helping people better understand how they’re feeling and pointing them to the right kind of support, sooner rather than later.

Digital Phenotyping is built into W3LL Voice, the companion app, to pick up subtle changes in our behaviour through our everyday devices, so that we can catch signs earlier and offer support through micro interventions before these signs escalate.

Singapore’s digital readiness and healthcare infrastructure make it the ideal place to bring this to life. But we also see a much bigger opportunity—to bring accessible, preventive mental wellness tools to more people across the region.

Q: There’s growing interest in population health. How does Universal Health partner with SMRT to contribute to this movement?

We’re always looking for meaningful ways to play a leading role in raising awareness about population health, and to build on our network to support the community. With the MRT stations being such a big part of people’s daily lives, it was a great place to start in making health and wellness accessible, especially for busy commuters.

I’m really grateful to have the generous support of SMRT. Since its launch at Espanade MRT, the W3LL Station has been very well received, and interest among commuters has been encouraging. The response that we got makes us excited to bring it to more stations in the near future.

Q: How have healthcare professionals and users responded to W3LL Station so far? Are there any key case studies or feedback that stand out?

We are grateful for the support of key stakeholders from public health in Singapore for the recent pilot launch of the W3LL Station. Healthcare professionals are generally in favour of initiatives that promote preventive health and improve access to health monitoring.

The ease of use and non-invasive nature of W3LL Station could be seen as a positive step towards these goals:

Enhancing preventive care: By making health screenings easily accessible, it could encourage more people to monitor their well-being proactively. This aligns with the broader goals of public health and early detection.
Providing data-driven insights: The aggregated, anonymised data collected could offer valuable insights into community health trends, which could inform public health strategies and resource allocation.
Supporting existing healthcare systems: By providing initial screenings and referrals, W3LL Station could guide individuals who need further medical attention towards appropriate healthcare providers.

Q: What were the biggest challenges you faced in launching a high-tech wellness product like W3LL Station, and how did you overcome them?

We’ve seen how easy it is for people to lose interest in digital health apps, so having a physical touchpoint like the W3LL Station makes a big difference. It brings mental well-being into everyday spaces in a way that feels real and accessible.

Getting people to use the station and act on their results is a challenge though. That’s why we’ve made the reports simple, with practical tips and clear next steps. We’ve also partnered with local wellness brands to offer small perks that make it more engaging. The novelty and convenience of the station have helped drive early interest too.

Trust is another hurdle, especially with a non-contact, automated system. We’ve been upfront about how the technology works, its limitations, and how privacy is handled. Partnering with a trusted name like SMRT Trains has also helped us build credibility with the public.

Q: What’s next for Universal Health and the W3LL Station in terms of development or expansion?

In the first month, we’ve set up the W3LL Station in four locations, and we’re planning to bring it to even more community spaces throughout the year.

On the healthcare side, we’re working closely with providers by sharing referrals and insights through a dedicated dashboard we call W3LL Insights, so they can better understand and support the people who need care.

Q: Finally, what advice would you give to others building businesses at the intersection of healthcare and technology?

Although I’ve been building companies for over two decades, this is my first venture into HealthTech, so in many ways, I’m just getting started.

Healthcare is personal. As a caregiver and user, I’d only use something that fits into my routine, not something that adds friction. Tech alone isn’t enough. We have to consider how it makes people feel.

Always get your product in front of real users and consumers early, and keep improving based on their feedback. And finally, adoption in healthcare takes time, so be ready to play the long game.

Images: Universal Health