Dr Chris Evans and Sophie Copley
Co-founders, CEO and CPO, Little Journey

Meet the founders

As an anaesthetic doctor, Dr Chris Evans was all too familiar with the terrible burden of stress and anxiety surgery places on children. A PhD assessing the way innovations in health tech stand to reduce stress before surgery and improve patient outcomes confirmed the urgency for a solution, and in 2018 he partnered with award-winning product designer, Sophie Copley, to build an app designed to support children and their families during routine care & elective surgery.

“I’m not someone who’s an expert in business, or running a large team, or remote working. These are all things that I’m learning as I go through, and Octopus are there willing to help support us through that journey and that learning and use their experience to help guide us.”

Dr Chris Evans

Why we invested

As a registered B-Corp, we’re constantly on the hunt for the pioneers reflecting our values in their businesses. When we met Chris and Sophie, we knew we’d found kindred spirits. Research shows that three-quarters of children undergoing a healthcare procedure experience severe anxiety – a quarter have to be physically restrained on the day. Little Journey offers psychological preparation and support for children and parents alike, reducing pre and post-procedural anxiety and opening the door to the creation of new care standards and better treatments for children

Initial investment stage

Seed+

First invested

2023