Sage Haven announces the official launch of its safer messaging and voice calling app for kids, following a successful beta period, alongside $3M in pre-seed funding led by top Silicon Valley investors. Cofounded by sisters and moms – serial tech entrepreneur, Kate Doerksen and Anne Pizzuti – Sage Haven was inspired by a teen family member’s struggle with cyberbullying and mental health.
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Sage Haven – Cofounded by sisters and moms – serial tech entrepreneurs, Anne Pizzuti and Kate Doerksen
Cyberbullying Research Center’s 2025 survey found that 58% of teens have experienced cyberbullying, with incidents doubling between 2016 and 2025. These behaviors often begin in elementary or early middle school, when group chatting starts on watches, tablets and phones.
“This is the texting app parents have been waiting for,” said Sage Haven cofounder, Anne Pizzuti. “Group chats are where kids face frequent exposure to bullying, inappropriate content, and screen addiction.”
Sage Haven is the first messaging app designed to address this head-on with AI moderation designed to block harmful messages before they are sent and nudges kids toward kinder communication. Parents can approve every contact and monitor their child’s messages directly from their own phones, supported by AI-powered alerts and conversation recaps. A registered Public Benefit Corporation, Sage Haven is built for kids’ early messaging years, with flexibility to scale back supervision as they grow.
Sage Haven integrates seamlessly with messaging apps like Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages. “When your kid uses Sage Haven, you get the benefits regardless of what other kids and family members are using,” says Sage Haven cofounder, Kate Doerksen. “We use AI for good to help families build a slow, safe onramp to technology adoption. Our focus on watches and tablets also supports parents who want to delay smartphone access.” Sage Haven also runs Sage Parents, a free resource for families navigating technology decisions.
The $3M pre-seed round was led by top Silicon Valley investors, including Hustle Fund, How Women Invest, LaunchTN, NextBlue, Gaingels, ExitFund, Graham & Walker, Fuel Venture Capital, a16z Scout Fund, Accel Scout Fund, and Kleiner Perkins Scout Fund, with participation from former U.S. presidential candidate and Noble Mobile cofounder Andrew Yang, the cofounder of SoFi and more.
Learn more: www.sagehavenforkids.com, www.sageparents.org and follow Kate and Anne’s journey: Sage Sisters Podcast.
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