Content advice: This article includes discussion of suicide.
Over many years, Elliot Taylor worked on the frontline of youth crisis and emotional distress. Now a respected tech entrepreneur and CEO, he’s applying what he learned to technology to provide online help to people in the very place and moment it’s most needed.
Elliot is the founder of ThroughLine, a start-up that strives ‘to ease every emotional crisis’ by working with the world’s largest technology platforms to connect people experiencing mental health and online safety challenges with the right support – immediately and safely.
Today, the New Zealand business is in partnership with everyone from Anthropic to OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Pinterest, Roblox, dating apps, websites and search engines.
Elliot founded ThroughLine in 2021, first supported in 2022 by Alberts Impact Ventures – our impact-focused venture capital fund backing early-stage founders tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The investment recognised both Elliot’s deep knowledge and skill alongside the urgent need for his product. But the idea for ThroughLine, and Elliot’s broad experience in working with young people experiencing emotional distress, came about several years ago when he ended up in the emergency department supporting a young woman who had attempted suicide after posting a suicide note on social media, before being found by her partner.
It was a breakthrough moment for Elliot, who recognised that in a time of crisis she had reached out online rather than seek help in person. He realised help was increasingly needed online. But how?
“ThroughLine has been a journey to try to do that,” he tells Alberts.
After studying international development at university, Elliot ended up working in frontline youth services in New Zealand, ultimately helping lead a nationwide youth charity running youth centres, at the same time as opening his own share house to people in the community experiencing distress from homelessness, substance abuse or domestic violence.
“You’d build quite authentic relationships with young people because you’re not their counsellor or social worker, so you get a real window into what life is like for them and some of the challenges they’re experiencing,” Elliot says.
Throughout that journey, he was always fascinated by the role of technology and began thinking about ways of providing people in crisis with online support.
Elliot Taylor with members of the ThroughLine team, which grew from his determination to better support people reaching out online in times of crisis.
ThroughLine is the result, partnering with online platforms to identify and connect people in distress with the relevant online support though a global helpline network of 1500 services now available in almost 180 countries through 20 or more major platforms. Helpline support is anonymous, confidential, free, and ideally available on demand, without appointments. The network is constantly monitored, with ThroughLine working directly with helplines to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
Public data now indicates around 1 million people/week talk to ChatGPT about suicide, although the reality is believed to be far higher.
“The ease of access and anonymity the internet affords people means they talk about the experiences they’re having,” Elliot says. “More people than ever are turning to these products for mental health support, it would be the largest mental health support opportunity in the world. We’re also seeing more people in crisis reaching out, that’s increasing the amount of people who end up connecting with support.”
People are also increasingly turning to AI chatbots, a complex and sensitive development that requires AI companies to ensure AI assistants handle conversations appropriately (companies such as Anthropic are now taking measures to ensure this is happening).
“There’s a real opportunity to take that trend [people increasingly seeking online help] and do it effectively and safely,” Elliot says. “For all the commentary and concern around mental health and AI, I think it’s really important to emphasise it is a transformation in terms of user experience. It does make accessing support far more accessible.”
As more people turn online for mental health support, “there’s a real opportunity to take that trend and do it effectively and safely,” says Elliot (far left), with the ThroughLine team.
ThroughLine has built its own AI care navigation technology, FirstStep, to ensure a safe, guided experience to help people find the right support, information or help. The technology is now generating interest from governments and helplines looking to offer the same guided experience directly to their own populations and communities.
Although ThroughLine largely works in the background, quietly connecting people in need with resources, they do occasionally have users offering feedback.
“We had someone from India reach out and say, ‘I’ve used your product not just casually but in times when I’m figuring out how to stay alive. Thank you for the work you do’,” Elliot says.
Plenty of industry partners too have given glowing reports.
“ThroughLine has been an incredible partner,” notes Kia Wahl, head of product partnerships at Google. “They have helped us scale quickly and connect vulnerable users with the right support. Their team is professional, thoughtful and highly knowledgeable. We’re proud of the impact this work has, reaching people and providing help when it matters most.”
In the years since ThroughLine has been operating, what began with mental health crises and suicide prevention is increasingly moving into working with people experiencing online harm, including harassment, financial and romantic scams, sextortion, radicalisation and violent extremism.
“A really clear example is the growing [incidence] in recent years of young, seemingly well-adjusted, successful teenaged boys taking their lives because they’ve been sextorted, a really horrific overlap between online harm and mental health,” Elliot says “The recognition for us at ThroughLine is there’s a blur between those spaces, and our goal is to be the best in the world at being able to solve that for people.”
ThroughLine is deliberately not public-facing, happy to stay behind the scenes quietly providing a bridge to the support and resources people need when they are at their most vulnerable.
“We’re like the good Samaritans of the internet trying to figure out how to make it easier for people to get help,” says Elliot. “I really want my finite time here on earth to have a strong social return on investment, so building ThroughLine as a company was an opportunity to really go all in on that strategy, and I’ve never looked back. I very much feel I’m in my sweet spot, doing my life’s work in my dream job.”
Support: If this article raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available locally from Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000. For support outside Australia, visit findahelpline.com (operated by ThroughLine).
