Zenovate

About Zenovate

Zenovate, which now operates as Nivati, originated as a corporate chair massage company called Incorporate Massage in 2010. It was founded by Amelia Wilcox, a trained massage therapist who, after graduating from the Utah College of Massage Therapy, identified a larger market opportunity in providing on-site massage services to corporations. Facing personal financial pressure and limited by the number of massages she could personally deliver, Wilcox pivoted from working with individuals to a B2B model, selling massage services in bulk to companies in Utah.

The business began with Wilcox distributing brochures and securing its first client, a law firm, for an Administrative Professionals Day event. This initial success confirmed the business model's viability, leading to the formal establishment of Incorporate Massage. The company focused on delivering on-site chair massages as an employee wellness benefit, aiming to reduce stress, address health issues before they escalate, and boost morale. By 2020, the company rebranded to Zenovate, expanding its services beyond physical wellness to include comprehensive mental health support. This evolution was driven by a perceived gap in the employee assistance program (EAP) market. Zenovate introduced a new model, dubbed #unEAP, which charged employers only for services used, a direct contrast to the standard per-employee-per-month (PEPM) pricing of traditional EAPs.

The platform grew to include over 1,200 counselors and practitioners, offering services like mental health counseling, virtual yoga, guided meditation, and nutrition coaching. In August 2021, to better reflect its expanded focus on mental health and to facilitate global scaling, Zenovate rebranded to Nivati. The company provides a HIPAA-compliant app that offers employees access to teletherapy and proactive care while providing employers with real-time, anonymized data on employee wellbeing. In 2021, Nivati was acquired by LifeWorks, a larger HR services and technology company. Subsequently, in 2022, LifeWorks itself was acquired by TELUS for approximately $2.9 billion and merged into the TELUS Health division, creating a global platform for employee-focused digital healthcare and mental wellness.