Speech therapy of the future: a look into the world of SpeakTX

In an era where digital solutions are increasingly pushing the boundaries of healthcare, SpeakTX is in the spotlight as a pioneer in digital speech therapy. In the following exclusive interview, Salome Virkus, CEO of SpeakTX, shares insights into their innovative platform that helps people with speech and language disorders improve their communication skills. From the early days of founding to future visions, this interview offers a fascinating insight into the world of digital speech therapy.

How would you explain your solution in three sentences to a professional colleague from the health sector?

"SpeakTX is an online speech therapy platform that provides a wide range of interactive exercises created by experienced speech therapists to help people overcome speech and language impediments. SpeakTX is an efficient tool for speech therapists that helps to save time and costs, while empowering patients to contribute to their own speech development from the comfort of their home. SpeakTX exercises are suitable for both children and adult patients with different impediments and diagnoses."

What problem motivated you to start the company?

"Digital speech therapy is an answer to increasing demand for speech-language pathology services and the shortage of specialists available to provide them. With the prevalence of speech and language disorders on the rise, including in children and adults recovering from neurological conditions like stroke, there is a growing need for accessible and effective therapy options. However, many regions face a shortage of qualified speech therapists, leading to long wait times and limited access to care. Digital speech therapy addresses this gap by leveraging technology to deliver therapy remotely, improving access and providing greater flexibility."

How do you convince a pharmaceutical company, a health insurance company or another potential client to set up a pilot project with you?

"SpeakTX speech therapy platform is highly trustworthy due to its evidence-based approach and widespread adoption by hundreds of specialists across different countries. Therapy exercises are grounded in scientific evidence and best practices in speech-language pathology. Moreover, the fact that numerous specialists in multiple countries have chosen to integrate SpeakTX into their practice underscores its credibility and reliability. As a result, users can have confidence in the platform's ability to deliver high-quality, evidence-based therapy tailored to their unique needs, ultimately leading to improved communication skills and outcomes."

Who are your current customer (groups) and who do you want your potential customers to be?

"Our customers are specialists (speech therapists, special education teachers and other support specialists) and patients (both children and adult patients). SpeakTX is widely used in schools and kindergartens (in countries where speech therapy for children is provided through education system, e.g Baltic countries, Ukraine, Georgia) as well as clinics and hospitals. We also provide subscriptions to B2C customers who can join the platform independently without the mediation of a specialist. In addition to countries mentioned above, we provide the platform in Malta and are now starting in Germany."

Where do you see yourself in 3 years and how can 5-HT support you?

"In three years, SpeakTX will have expanded its reach to even further, becoming a leading digital speech therapy platform accessible to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. With continuous innovation and partnerships, SpeakTX will offer an even more comprehensive suite of evidence-based therapy solutions, empowering users to improve their communication skills and quality of life."