Business Spotlight: Samten

Samten is a Wales-born wellbeing platform dedicated to helping people feel calmer, more present, and more at ease in everyday life. Rooted in timeless teachings with over 2,500 years of lineage, Samten’s approach is grounded in the science of the mind. While inspired by Buddhist philosophy, the practices are entirely non-religious and inclusive, making them accessible to everyone.

After joining the GlobalWelsh for Business Programme in January 2026, we caught up with CEO Simon Delve to discuss the journey behind Samten, the challenges of building a purpose-led tech business, and the ambition to take a Welsh-born wellbeing platform onto the world stage…

Can you start by telling us a bit about your business and what inspired you to start it?

At its core, our business is about serving people. In the health and wellbeing space, there are lots of ways to support mental health, and we chose to do it through mindfulness and meditation. We partner with a world-renowned teacher to help people learn these practices in an authentic way.

The reason we focus on breath is simple, it’s the one thing we all have with us every single day. When you learn how to work with your breath, you can move into a calmer state very quickly.

Our tagline is “changing the world one breath at a time”. Ultimately, we want people to smile within. When I give talks, I often say it’s about being happy now, not happy when. That’s the message we’re trying to translate through everything we do.

How has the business evolved since it first launched?

Like any startup or scale-up, the journey hasn’t been straightforward. When the business first launched, we like to say it was like a bike with no handlebars, the product didn’t quite match the solution we had inside it.

We had to go back to the drawing board, rebuild the product, partner with new people, and develop a new app. Originally, we were focused on a business-to-consumer model, but we found that market didn’t suit us. The messaging, advertising, and approach didn’t align with our values.

Since the start of 2025, we’ve really focused on shifting to a business-to-business model, which feels much more aligned with who we are and what we’re trying to achieve.

What are the core services of Samten?

At its heart, Samten is about giving people access to teachings from our lead teacher, Gelong Thubten. Over time, we’ll be bringing more teachers onto the platform, but what’s really special is that feeling of being able to sit almost one-to-one with a world-renowned teacher.

The teachings are rooted in the science of the mind and come from a tradition that’s over 2,500 years old. What I love about that is how timeless it is, it’s not trend-led at all. You could have seen this content 100 years ago, or 100 years from now, and it would still make sense.

Inside the app, there’s around 25 hours of guided practice, mixing philosophy, life coaching and meditation. It’s set up as a learning journey, including a 30-day path for beginners. By the end of that, the idea is that the practice fits into real life, whether you’re at work, on a train, or commuting, not just when you’re sitting quietly at home.

The real aim is to give people skills they can take with them anywhere, so they don’t feel like they have to rely on us forever. That’s the core strength of Samten: what we offer is timeless, practical, and relevant whenever people discover it.

What types of businesses do you work with?

We don’t really define our audience by company size. Whether someone works in a team of five or an organisation with 10,000 employees, it comes down to the individual.

Everyone experiences similar thoughts and emotions, some people go deeper into them than others, but fundamentally, we’re all the same. The platform is designed so each person can go on their own journey, wherever they are in their practice, and benefit from it in a way that’s right for them.

What has been your biggest milestone to date?

There have been several. We restructured the business strategy, rebuilt the app (now on version three), and won a bronze award at a mental health awards programme. We’ve also onboarded customers across finance, construction, and technology, and we’re in the process of partnering with some large organisations.

But if I had to choose one milestone, it would be resilience, the fact that we’re still here, still serving people, and now building towards a very strong future.

Why did you join GlobalWelsh, and how can the community support you?

I’d heard of GlobalWelsh but didn’t know much about it until recently. While working on another venture in the UAE, I met Mark Colbourne MBE and was introduced to the community. What stood out was how different the network felt.

I already have a strong network, but this offered fresh perspectives. Getting feedback from people who don’t know you can often be more honest and valuable. The conversations, support, and sense of community really resonated with me, and I’m genuinely glad I joined.

Support from the community, whether through feedback, introductions, or sharing our work, would make a real difference as we grow.

What’s next for the Samten?

Our main goals are to raise investment, grow the team, and scale the business globally. Because of the nature of what we do, we’re not limited to the UK, we can work with companies and individuals all over the world.

GlobalWelsh plays a really important role in that. With members based across the globe, the introductions and connections it offers could help us expand internationally and continue building something that has a strong Welsh identity on a global stage.

We’re really proud that the business was born in Wales, and we’re excited about the opportunity to grow it internationally while continuing to represent Wales as we do so.

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