AI Emotional Support — About Proteus

Almost without warning, and very suddenly, at the start of 2025, at 44 years old, I received the news that turned my world and my family's upside down in seconds. Stage 4 cancer.

On the doctors' recommendation, I began treatment immediately — and it was brutal.

Rounds of hospitalization, endless physical pain, and long stretches of isolation — in the hospital and at home — because my immune system was compromised. Somewhere between treatments, I realized the physical pain wasn't actually the hardest part. There was a mental side too, one that went almost entirely unaddressed — not because I didn't look for help, but because professionals simply weren't available in the moments I truly needed them.

And beside me, every step of the way, stood my immediate family, my extended family, and my friends.

But the people who live the illness every single day are the ones who live with the patient.

Most people don't talk about the fact that partners caring for someone seriously ill are hurting too, and can develop their own trauma — no less real. And, by the way, the healthcare system does make mental health treatment available to them too — the problem, again, is availability.

So Dana, too, didn't get the support she needed in the moments she needed it most.

Today I'm healthy. But recovering from the illness didn't end the need to process what happened — it only sharpened it.

As we searched for a way to help, we discovered we were far from alone in this: demand for mental health support far outpaces supply.

Proteus was born out of that. Proteus is an AI-powered emotional support platform, built on evidence-based support principles, created for people facing all kinds of challenges — and our vision is real accessibility. For everyone.

Compassionate, judgment-free emotional support, 24/7, alongside financial accessibility, so cost is never the reason someone gives up on support. Proteus is there — at home, on the phone, at any hour. And never forgetting the people who need an immediate response and can't wait for an appointment.

We believe that balance begins with feeling heard, and once each of us understands this need in ourselves, we'll see mentally healthier people — and mentally healthier people are simply better to one another. On the road, on the street, and certainly at home, among family and friends.

Proteus creates a safe space to talk freely, process emotions, and feel less alone on the journey. It's not a replacement for professional care — it's a companion for the moments between sessions, the sleepless nights, and the times you just need someone to listen.

Proteus wasn't born from a business idea. It was born from the absence of exactly what we needed most, in our hardest moments.

Reuven Ran Sarussi and Dana Sarussi, founders of Proteus.