Crisis Text Line and Aselo Unite to Advance Global Crisis Response Through Technology
Acquisition positions the nonprofit as a technology partner to crisis helplines worldwide, extending its reach beyond
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New York, Aug. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit that provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish, today announced it has acquired Aselo®, the open-source contact center platform developed by Tech Matters, to support crisis intervention helplines worldwide. The alliance marks a major step forward in strengthening global mental health support infrastructure through technology.
Originally developed for and co-created with the child helplines of Child Helpline International, Aselo unifies phone calls, text, chat, and social media into one easy-to-use interface for helpline partners who are on the front lines of a wide range of issues that people face: mental health, access to essential services, violence and abuse, extortion and online exploitation, and more. Since its launch in 2021, Aselo has grown to support 25 helpline partners across 19 countries and has facilitated more than one million contacts to helplines.
“Too many crisis helplines are forced to rely on technology that was never designed for the unique demands of crisis response,” said Dena Trujillo, CEO at Crisis Text Line. “Aselo was purpose-built for this work, bringing communications, case management, quality assurance, and reporting together in a single, flexible platform. We are proud to steward this mission-driven infrastructure, so that organizations around the world can access technology designed for impact, not just commercial scale.”
By bringing Aselo into Crisis Text Line with the help of generous support from the Skoll Foundation and the INNW Fund, the organization is committing to the long-term sustainability of the platform, investing in its development, stability, and affordability so that helplines and helpline counselors can focus on what matters most: the people they serve.
“Tech Matters has always sought ways to empower nonprofits to solve global problems,” said Jim Fruchterman, Founder & CEO of Tech Matters. “We saw a tremendous opportunity with the child helpline movement, and built Aselo to meet that need. Now, we’re delighted to transition Aselo to Crisis Text Line to continue and expand on that vision.”
No single organization can address the global mental health crisis alone. This acquisition reflects Crisis Text Line’s commitment to a systems-level approach, working in partnership with NGOs, governments, and global health organizations to build the infrastructure that makes high-quality mental health support accessible everywhere. Importantly, the acquisition also accelerates Crisis Text Line’s global presence and strengthens its ability to support organizations across the Global South. Effective mental health support cannot be built from a one-size-fits-all approach. Mental health systems, access to care, digital infrastructure, and cultural contexts vary dramatically across regions, and organizations working locally are best positioned to understand the needs of their communities. Aselo’s entire global team will join Crisis Text Line, providing its substantial international expertise to fulfill this mission.
“Crisis Text Line recognized that youth were moving away from voice to text, and pioneered text-based support,” said Nick Hurlburt, Executive Director of Aselo. “Aselo was born out of a worldwide need to provide quality technology to helplines that needed to go anywhere people are: voice, text, and social media. Now, we can unite all this powerful technology to address critical crises and mental health needs everywhere.”
Crisis Text Line has always believed that technology and empathy together can transform mental health support. Partnering with Aselo extends that belief globally – equipping crisis helplines worldwide with the modern, purpose-built tools they need to serve people in their most vulnerable moments.
For more information, visit www.crisistextline.org.
About Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a global mental health organization dedicated to supporting people in their most difficult moments. The nonprofit focuses on both crisis intervention and prevention, providing free, 24/7, confidential support in English and Spanish through a text-based platform that meets people where they are. We pair human connection with scalable technology, research, and partnerships to strengthen mental health systems and drive lasting change. Since its launch in 2013, Crisis Text Line has supported over 12 million conversations in the United States and more than 17 million globally together with our affiliates in Canada, the UK and Ireland. Crisis Text Line’s 125,000 trained volunteer Crisis Counselors bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm by empowering each texter to use their own strengths and coping strategies. In 2025, Crisis Text Line expanded its global reach by joining forces with Aquí Estoy, a nonprofit organization serving people in need across 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean.To be connected to a live, trained, nonjudgmental volunteer Crisis Counselor, text HELLO to 741741 or 443-SUPPORT in WhatsApp or text HOLA to 741741 or 442-AYUDAME in WhatsApp for Spanish or connect with us via web chat. Visit Crisis Text Line on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including how to become a volunteer or how to support Crisis Text Line through donations or partnerships, is available at www.crisistextline.org.
About Aselo
In partnership with Child Helpline International, Tech Matters created Aselo to bring modern, purpose-built technology to crisis response helplines around the globe. Aselo is a specialized, open-source contact center platform designed for crisis intervention helplines and hotlines. Aselo unifies phone calls, text, chat, and social media into a single interface to help counselors manage crises more effectively and expand access to support globally. Aselo was developed with funding and support from Child Helpline International, Safe Online, Meta, the Jenesis Group, Okta for Good, the One Family Foundation, Amazon Web Services, The Agency Fund, Schmidt Futures, Twilio, and PagerDuty.
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Vanessa Showalter Crisis Text Line 949-748-0542 vshowalter@crisistextline.org
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