Tru Self
Addiction recovery technology · CEO and Founder
Role
CEO & Founder
Org type
Recovery tech startup
Timeline
2021–2025
Methods
Platform design, wearable data
Outcome
$60K pilot contract; gBeta accelerator
The problem
Tru Self began as an enterprise app for addiction-recovery caseworkers, piloted through the gener8tor gBeta accelerator. As the product matured, the direction shifted from an app clients had to remember to open toward a wearable that collects biometric data on its own, feeding two case-management pitches built for reentry populations. In parallel, a second project, the 90/90 journal, takes the same identity-reformation work and puts it directly in an individual's own hands.
Two connected projects
One reforms identity through a case-management platform and wearable data; the other puts the same work directly in an individual's hands. Select a project to open the details, key metrics, and technical appendix.
1. Tru Self Accelerator: TS Self and Aura Ring Integration$60K pilot contract · gBeta accelerator, hosted by gener8tor
Diagnosis
Caseworkers in addiction recovery carry a heavy documentation load, and clients lose their pathway to recovery once they leave a facility or lose proximity to in-person support. About 7 million people with co-occurring disorders are in treatment for addiction each year, and existing tools serve either the patient or the case worker, rarely both, and rarely account for anonymous, court-mandated, or reentry populations.
Intervention
Built Tru Self, a mobile app and web portal enabling real-time accountability between clients and caseworkers, with anonymous posting, community bulletin boards, an integrated trauma and addiction curriculum (the R1 Learning System), and location-enabled check-ins for verified anonymous meetings required by prison and court systems. It automates follow-up and reporting so caseworkers spend less time documenting. The next iteration moves the client side from an app people have to remember to open to a wearable device, the Aura Ring, that collects biometric data passively. This became the basis for two case-management pitches to Aetna: one offering intensive case management, identity-document and administrative-skills curriculum, and one-on-one mentorship to young mothers in their first six months aging out of foster care; the other offering the same model to young adults aging out of foster care with an identified substance use disorder, adding wearable biometric data on relapse indicators so an advocate can intercede before a relapse takes place.
Technical appendix
Research and Methodology
Market sizing used the co-occurring-disorder treatment population (about 7,087,300 people per year) against a $2,175 annual revenue figure, reimbursable through most medical payers, to model a $15.9B market. Competitive positioning was mapped against Sober Sidekick, We Connect, and Step Away on customer type, co-occurring disorder support, anonymous posting, and market entry point.
Scoring and Logic
Revenue model: patient payment of $2,175 per year, reimbursable through most medical payers; a professional subscription for caseworkers; and value-based care payments from pharmaceutical and insurance partners.
Constraints and Assumptions
The pre-seed round ($1M) targeted a Q1 2025 close with runway through Q2 2026, against milestones of MVP, market fit, key hires, 6 professional licenses, 1,000 patients, and profitability. A subsequent seed round was planned for Q4 2025.
Obstacles Encountered
An app-based model depends on the client remembering to open it and having reliable access, which is exactly what breaks down for this population. The wearable pivot exists to remove that dependency, at the cost of needing hardware integration the original app-only model didn't require.
2. 90/90Built in Obsidian · a daily journal for identity reformation
Diagnosis
Recovery from addiction requires more than abstaining from a substance; it requires reforming identity, and most journaling tools aren't anchored in behavior modification strategies specific to recovery.
Intervention
Built 90/90, a daily journal in Obsidian anchored in addiction-recovery behavior modification strategies, topics, and structured practices for identity reformation.
Technical appendix
Research and Methodology
Anchored in addiction-recovery behavior modification strategies and topics developed for identity reformation.
Scoring and Logic
Not applicable. This is a journaling structure, not a scored assessment.
Constraints and Assumptions
Built in Obsidian, so it assumes a user comfortable installing and navigating a note-taking application rather than a dedicated app.
Obstacles Encountered
Not yet documented.
Research documents
Tru Self Enterprise Executive Summary
Product, team, revenue model, market size, competition, and financing milestones for the enterprise recovery platform.
Project visuals
gener8tor gBeta pitch
Tru Self was piloted through the gener8tor gBeta accelerator as an enterprise app for addiction-recovery caseworkers. The product secured a negotiated $60K pilot contract with a nonprofit.
Click the image to enlarge