Santa Monica-based Headspace Inc., developer of a meditation app used by millions, plans to start a digital health subsidiary with a goal of building the world’s first prescription meditation platform.

The company on June 6 said Headspace Health aims to deliver the world’s first prescription meditation app by 2020. The mobile app would be prescribed by doctors for a range of chronic diseases, pending completion of clinical trials and federal regulatory approval.

“The creation of Headspace Health is the most significant step ever taken to introduce meditation into medicine at scale,” said Rich Pierson, co-founder and chief executive of Headspace, in a statement.

Headspace was founded in 2010 by Pierson, a then-anxious advertising executive, and Andy Puddicombe, a Buddhist monk. They moved their firm to Silicon Beach from London five years ago so they could surf.

The company’s guided meditation app and online offerings have been accessed by 30 million people in 190 countries, in addition to one million subscribers who sign up at a cost of around $100 a year, according to the company.

Headspace has raised $72.5 million in investor funding, according to Crunchbase, an investment tracker.

It has raised $71 million over two rounds – one it September 2015 and another last year.