A real person
Every conversation is with a human being who chose to be there.
About Humanus
A belief in the value of lived experience.
Background · The problem
Loneliness and mental health challenges affect people worldwide.
1 in 6
people worldwide are affected by loneliness, which is linked to 871,000 deaths a year.
1B+
people live with a mental health condition. Anxiety and depression are the most common.
$1T
is what depression and anxiety cost the global economy each year.
Sources: WHO, social connection report (June 2025); WHO, World mental health today (September 2025)
Background · Why now
People are turning to feeds and chatbots for connection.
6h 38m
a day online for the average adult internet user in DataReportal’s 2025 global overview.
72%
of U.S. teens have tried AI companions. One in three has chosen an AI companion over a person for a serious conversation.
Feeds offer opinions, not always understanding. Chatbots can’t replace human experience.
People still need someone who has been there.Sources: DataReportal, Digital 2025; Common Sense Media (July 2025)
The founder
The experience behind Humanus.
Jiani Chen, founder of Humanus, was born and raised in China and has lived in Israel, Germany, Nigeria, the UAE and Brazil. Across these different places, she experienced how much a conversation or a stranger’s kindness could matter when starting over.
“Strangers’ companionship saved me, so I decided to pass it on, at scale.”
Those experiences shaped a belief that became the foundation of Humanus: every person carries something valuable from the road they have travelled, and that experience can help someone else facing a similar moment.
What we are building today
A platform for one-to-one conversations.
Everyone needs help at times, and everyone has experience worth sharing.On Humanus, you can be a Seeker, looking for people with relevant experience, or a Giver, sharing the road you have walked along with your knowledge, skills, and personal understanding. You can switch between the two roles at any time, or hold both at once.
I need helpFind a Giver
I can giveBecome a Giver
Who has lived it
Givers have been through it: a career change, a degree abroad, a move to a new country.
One to one, in depth
Private voice conversations, with time to talk openly and no audience watching.
Where we are heading
Three Pillars for Humanus
The human experience is at the heart of everything we build — from meaningful connection and healthier everyday living to shared experiences.
Build understanding through human connection.
Bring people together through real conversations, shared experience and mutual support.
Current focus
Make healthier choices in everyday life.
Explore thoughtful food, products and daily habits that support healthier, more sustainable living.
Long-term direction
Create meaningful moments with others.
Make space for creativity, learning and connection through workshops, arts, crafts and local gatherings.
Long-term direction
What guides us
Five values shape how we connect.
Authenticity
Real experiences, shared honestly.
Sincerity
Time and attention given with care.
Understanding
Room for context, complexity and different perspectives.
Connection
Meaningful exchange between real people.
Growth
Experience passed on, learned from and carried forward.
Join Humanus