Beckley Retreats, a psilocybin retreats and holistic wellbeing company, closed of its seed round with a $1.5m investment led by Iter Investments and with participation by The Joe and Sandy Samberg Foundation and 5D World. Beckley Retreats offers the most comprehensive psychedelic program currently on the market with a 4-week virtual preparation protocol leading up to the 5-day immersive retreat, followed by a 6-week virtual integration program.
The integration program has been carefully designed, using the decades of scientific research that has been spear-headed by Beckley Retreats’ co-founder, Amanda Feilding and her Beckley Foundation, for individuals on a quest for personal development and spiritual growth.
How will Beckley Retreats use the funds?
Beckley Retreats will expand operations, increasing the number of its science-backed transformational programs in Jamaica and the Netherlands to meet growing demand.
The programs not only include psilocybin, but are also supplemented by breathwork, meditation, mindful movement, and expertly designed nutrition, and the pre- and post-retreat protocols informed by the latest research in psychology and neuroscience.
Beckley Retreats is part of the expanding Beckley ecosystem of mission-driven psychedelic organizations, which have all been founded or co-founded by Amanda Feilding, recently dubbed the “queen of psychedelics” by The Economist. Feilding has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific studies, and was a friend of and thought-partner to older psychedelic pioneers like Albert Hofmann, Sasha and Ann Shulgin, Terence McKenna, and many others.
Amanda’s co-founder at Beckley Retreats is Neil Markey, who, after serving as a Captain in the US Army Special Operations, 2nd Ranger Battalion, began experimenting with alternative wellbeing practices and psychedelics to help work through his depression and PTSD.
What were the executives’ thoughts on the funding?
Neil Markey commented: “Access to legal and professionally-executed psychedelic experiences are few and far between. Our connection to the Beckley Foundation enables us to provide programming that is rooted in science, while also respecting, acknowledging, and giving back to the lineages that have carried this ancient wisdom into the modern world.”
“We are honored to provide this opportunity for North Americans seeking personal development through the safe and legal use of psychedelics, and we are grateful that our early investors see the potential in what we’re doing,” Neil Markey further commented.
As the lead investor, Dustin Robinson, Managing Principal at Iter Investments, commented: “Since our fund’s inception in April 2021, we’ve spoken to dozens of retreat companies. However, none of those retreat companies fit the high standards of our investment criteria.”
“We are grateful finally to have found a company that does meet our expectations. Beckley Retreats is exactly what we’ve been looking for with a world-class team and an operational strategy that makes them poised to be the breakout leader in the retreat space. The Iter team looks forward to working with Beckley Retreats to build a scalable business model that provides transformational experiences to thousands of individuals,” Robinson further added.
Joe Samberg said: “Sandy and I, through our Foundation, are thrilled to support the Beckley Retreats team in their efforts to build a trusted brand, scale the business, and ultimately make these transformational experiences more accessible to the broader population. By curating these experiences in group sessions in a safe and secure setting, Beckley is helping foster a paradigm for mental health and wellness; creating stronger human connections.”
