Prince Harry now a tech exec at a Silicon Valley startup

gettyimages-1231537336

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, talk with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month.


Getty Images

You may now address Prince Harry by a new title: chief impact officer.

That’s the job the Duke of Sussex has taken at BetterUp, a San Francisco-based startup focused on coaching and mental health. BetterUp “brings together world-class coaching, AI technology, and behavioral science experts” to help people live “more meaningful, vibrant lives with greater clarity, purpose, and passion,” the company says on its website.

Harry, who is no longer a working member of the British royal family, has been outspoken about his mental health struggles following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a Paris car crash in 1997. The duke’s new job, reported earlier Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal, comes on the heels of an explosive interview he and his wife, Meghan Markle, gave to Oprah Winfrey earlier this month.

The duke said in a statement that he was “really excited” to be joining BetterUp.

“I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us,” he said in a statement posted to the company’s website.

BetterUp was founded in 2013 and has about 270 employees. In February, it announced it had completed $125 million in Series D fundraising, giving it a valuation of $1.73 billion. But Harry’s role in the company won’t include managing direct reports, focusing instead on product strategy and corporate giving.

Harry has in recent years criticized British tabloids for negative coverage of his wife, who told Winfrey earlier this month that she endured “constant” suicidal thoughts and that no one in the palace would help her.

Since relocating to California last year, the royal couple has also signed big deals with Netflix and Spotify.

source: cnet.com