Viome launches precision personalized supplements based on deep health insights
Naveen Jain, CEO of Viome, said: “With Precision Supplements we achieved a breakthrough that was considered impossible before, a new era of precision and personalization in healthcare.
“In each monthly pack of ingredients we’re giving people just what they need and nothing that they don’t, not just picking from a menu of generic pills. By retesting several times a year we help people see real improvements for themselves rather than rely on faith and it also allows us to adjust the formula to the continually changing needs of their body.”
The service is powered by Viome Health Intelligence at-home tests, said the company in a release, which measure an individual’s gut microbiome health, cellular health and mitochondrial health, with more than 30 specific health scores.
Based on these health insights, the company then designs a precise formula using a range of ingredients, including probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, amino acids, and other natural extracts like antioxidants and polyphenols.
The made-to-order formulas use capsule and powder formats, and are delivered direct to the customer’s door every month to nourish them.
Customers also receive precise food recommendations through the Viome app., said the company. Viome’s subscription is reportedly the first to include at home retesting 2-3 times per year, allowing customers to see improvements in their health markers and get a new formula after each retest as the body is changing.
M&A in the personalized space
Viome applies artificial intelligence to complex biological data to provide personalized diet, nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for healthy living.
Launched in 2016, the Seattle-area wellness startup uses advanced Metatranscriptomic Sequencing Technology to provide insights into gut health. The company uses proprietary technology licensed exclusively through its partnership with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Viome purchased Campbell Soup Company’s personalized nutrition company, Habit in February 2019. Habit develops nutritional recommendations based on an individual’s biology, metabolism and personal goals.
The acquisition was hailed at the time as “an important bench mark in the evolution of the personalized nutrition field” bu Jeffrey Bland, PhD, President of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute (PLMI).
In recent months the industry has seen a number of consolidations in the personalized nutrition space. Nestlé Health Science acquired Persona, which offers personalized vitamin subscriptions based on lifestyle choice. Another notable move was from Dutch ingredients giant Royal DSM, who acquired AVA, a Boston-based company that offers a digital personalized nutrition platform. Also attracting investment attention this year has been Berlin-based Baze, which completed a $6 million Series A round led by Nature’s Way. Baze offers US consumers an at-home blood testing kit to measure an individual’s micronutrient levels.
At the same time, leading supplements brands such as Nature Made, GNC, and The Vitamin Shoppe have also launched personalized subscription services.
