Astanor Ventures is a venture capital firm focusing on entrepreneurs regenerating the food, blue ocean economy, and agriculture sector. The firm targeting technology-enabled companies across the agri-food value chain, leveraging disruptive technologies to bring about a future of food that is nourishing, regenerative, trusted, and ultra-fresh. It rings together capital, deep sector knowledge, and a strong network of entrepreneurs, impact investors, technologists, scientists, farmers, chefs, policymakers, and food lovers to give rise to a future of food that is nourishing, regenerative, scalable, trusted, and delicious.

Astanor Ventures

Heali AI

Heali is a platform created to help users personalized nutrition using machine learning and their proprietary database. It was founded by Kyle Dardashti and William Brendel in 2018 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

Heali AI is a platform that leverages machine learning and a proprietary database to develop personalized nutrition plans tailored to individual needs. The company's system takes into account factors such as food sensitivities, intolerances, health goals, and medical conditions to recommend dietary plans that align with each user's unique requirements. Heali AI grants users access to these personalized nutrition plans curated by registered dietitians, ensuring that the recommendations are tailored to their tastes and preferences.

Functional Nutrition

Youniq Health is a US-based company that has developed an AI-powered app to provide personalized nutrition plans tailored to individual users' health goals, dietary preferences, and biological data. The app utilizes an algorithm that processes various data points, such as blood samples, microbiome tests, genomic information, biometrics, and food preferences, to generate customized recipes and meal plans. These recipes are designed to align with the user's specific objectives, whether it's improving sleep, managing diabetes, managing chronic conditions, or boosting the immune system.A key feature is its ability to create new recipes in real time, complete with accompanying images. The app's AI technology generates these recipes based on the user's personalized data, ensuring that the suggested meals are not only nutritionally optimized but also visually appealing. Recipes provided are optimized so that the user can prepare the meal in less than <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2023/04/13/youniq-app-uses-ai-to-optimise-personalised-nutrition">15 to 20 minutes</a>.To make the recommended recipes more actionable, Youniq has partnered with several grocery retailers, enabling users to have the necessary ingredients delivered to their doorstep within <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2023/04/13/youniq-app-uses-ai-to-optimise-personalised-nutrition">two hours</a>. Additionally, the app <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2023/04/13/youniq-app-uses-ai-to-optimise-personalised-nutrition">can scan the ingredients</a> already available in the user's refrigerator and suggest recipes accordingly, minimizing the need for additional shopping trips.In <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2023/04/13/youniq-app-uses-ai-to-optimise-personalised-nutrition">April 2023</a>, Youniq Health announced its plans to expand into the UK market, recognizing the country's potential for its English-language app.The company noted that as of <a href="https://www.youniq.health/">July 2024</a>, its app was available globally; however, its grocery delivery option was only available to US-based users.Key customers and partnershipsAs of July 2024, the company partnered with employers to offer employees access to its platform, as healthier employees can lead to reduced healthcare costs. Additionally, Youniq partnered with hospitals to provide nutrition programs for patients, assisting them in maintaining optimal diets after procedures.

Youniq

ZOE is a personalized nutrition provider that aims to provide tailored dietary recommendations based on an individual's biological needs. Members begin by requesting at-home testing kits priced at USD 294 as of July 2024, the results of which are analyzed by the company. Based on the analysis of the testing kit, which includes tests for blood fat, gut microbe, and standardized test meals, users can utilize the company’s app to analyze and find meals best suited to their individual needs.Meals analyzed are assigned a ‘ZOE score’ between 0 and 100, with higher scores being more nutritional. Based on these scores, users are able to build meals, discover new recipes, track their individual progress, and combine, swap, and add food to planned meals to optimize their nutrition.Additionally, through the app, users gain access to qualified nutrition coaches for live chats and access educational material curated by scientists.The company additionally offers a wholefood supplement developed using over 30 plants called ‘Daily30+,’ which it offers on a subscription basis of GBP 39 (USD 51) for one month’s worth of servings or GBP 133 (USD 172) for four months’ worth of servings.As of <a href="https://zoe.com/our-science#research-updates">July 2024</a>, the company was also conducting a clinical trial on the effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health. As a part of the study, users could sign up to be participants and would be eligible to receive a blood sugar monitor for tracking the effectiveness of following ZOE’s personalized nutrition program with regard to cardiometabolic health. The monitor is included in the initial testing package if users opt in when ordering the at-home testing kit.

Lifesum is a digital nutrition platform that helps users build healthier eating habits through its innovative app. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013, the company provides a comprehensive suite of features to track meals, habits, and body measurements, enabling users to achieve their health and wellness goals. As of June 2024, Lifesum has over 65 million users worldwide across 250 countries, supporting 11 languages.The app offers a user-friendly food diary allowing users to log meals by searching a database, scanning barcodes, or manually entering items. It tracks calorie intake, hydration levels, exercise routines, and provides personalized diet plans tailored to individual preferences and objectives, such as ketogenic, high protein, Scandinavian, or Mediterranean diets. Lifesum's premium subscription unlocks additional features like detailed nutrient tracking, advanced analytics, and a vast library of healthy recipes.In <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifesum-shakes-up-european-wellness-with-transformative-lykon-acquisition-302171999.html">June 2024</a>, Lifesum announced its transformative acquisition of LYKON, a biomarker-based personalized nutrition company in Germany. This aimed to revolutionize Lifesum's service by integrating LYKON's pioneering technology, enabling users to access personalized nutrition and wellness recommendations based on medical-grade biomarker testing and analysis.Key customers and partnershipsIn addition to offering its services directly to users, Lifesum partners with enterprise clients to offer its solution to employees as part of a work benefit. The company noted that as of <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifesum-shakes-up-european-wellness-with-transformative-lykon-acquisition-302171999.html">June 2024</a>, it offered its solution to over 100 enterprise clients, including <a href="https://yulife.com/blog/lifesum-partnership/">YuLife</a>, <a href="https://leadiq.com/c/lifesum/5a1d8afd240000240065b0ce#:~:text=Corporate%20Wellness%20Partnerships%20Lifesum%20has,%2C%20General%20Electric%2C%20and%20PayPal.">PayPal, General Electric, and Amazon</a>.Additionally, the company has collaborated with companies to increase the functionality of its platform.In <a href="https://lifesum.com/page/lifesum-and-openesg-partner-to-connect-nutrition-and-sustainability">August 2023</a>, the company partnered with OpenESG, a global sustainability GenAI platform, to help users see how their dietary choices affect the climate.In <a href="https://lifesum.com/page/lifesum-and-oura-partner-to-connect-nutrition-and-sleep-via-health-connect-by-and">May 2023</a>, Lifesum partnered with smart ring provider ŌURA to provide users with a sleep-tracking feature. The feature allows users to analyze how their diet affects their sleep and vice versa.In <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/digital-health-app-lifesum-teams-up-with-amazon-to-bring-nutrition-coaching-to-newly-unveiled-amazon-halo-860278838.html">August 2020</a>, the company partnered with Amazon to offer Lifesum’s nutrition coaching feature through Amazon Halo. Through the partnership, users of Amazon Halo could access nutritional challenges and health content provided by Lifesum.

Lifesum

MyFitnessPal is a mobile app that helps users track their diet and physical activity to achieve health and weight goals. With a database featuring millions of food items, the app enables precise logging of nutritional intake, aiding individuals in making informed dietary choices. It provides a user-friendly interface for recording consumed foods, calculating calories, and monitoring nutrient breakdown, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.In addition to diet tracking, MyFitnessPal allows users to log their physical activities, such as running, walking, or gym workouts. Based on the recorded information, the app calculates the calories burned from these activities and updates the overall calorie balance. Users can set personalized goals for weight loss, gain, or maintenance, and the app tracks progress toward these objectives, providing insightful charts and reports.Key customers and partnershipsMyFitnessPal <a href="https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032274232-What-kind-of-products-and-apps-work-with-MyFitnessPal">integrates</a> with various fitness trackers and apps, enabling data synchronization and automatic updates. This integration includes popular devices and platforms such as Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Health, and Google Fit. By connecting with these third-party services, MyFitnessPal offers users a comprehensive view of their health and activities, fostering a holistic approach to wellness.

MyFitnessPal

Limbo is a digital weight loss and body transformation service that guides users to healthier habits by leveraging real-time biodata from wearables, including a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), an app, and a combination of human coaches and AI. The service is based on over 30 years of research by Co-Founder and Physiologist Tony Martin, focused on understanding how blood glucose levels regulate the body's energy system.Limbo's approach revolves around monitoring users' blood glucose levels and providing personalized feedback and nudges to help them make better food choices and lifestyle adjustments. The goal is to flatten users' blood glucose levels, which Limbo refers to as the "Limbo line" by reducing the consumption of carbohydrates, sugars, and processed foods. This, in turn, is believed to promote weight loss and improve overall health.The service involves wearing a CGM sensor, which continuously tracks users' glucose levels, and a smart wristband that monitors various biometrics, including heart rate, steps, and sleep patterns. Users also receive a smart scale to track their body weight, body fat, and muscle mass. This data is then analyzed by Limbo's AI system and human coaches, who provide tailored feedback and guidance through the Limbo app.As of July 2024, the company operated on a subscription model, initially charging users GBP 295 (USD 381) for access to its services, after which users could choose from several subscription packages ranging from GBP 120 (USD 155) per month to GBP 160 (USD 207) per month. The company also offers a monthly non-subscription package for GBP 195 (USD 252) per month.

Limbo

Providers of tailored dietary recommendations based on an individual's genetics and lifestyle for optimal wellness and disease prevention. This also includes calorie-counting apps that assist with weight loss and management

Designers of tailored dietary plans to address root causes of chronic diseases and symptom management

Companies that develop and offer supplements and nutraceuticals focused on enhancing health, addressing nutrition deficiencies and supporting overall wellness

Companies that provide personalized food services, including medically tailored meals and a marketplace for diverse dietary products to meet individual needs

Companies that offer virtual consultations from dietitians and nutritionists offering guidance via personalized nutrition plans, lifestyle and dietary assessments, and a focus on long-term health and wellness

Some functional nutrition offerings are based on the genomic profiles of individuals to identify personalized solutions

Most functional nutrition companies offer nutrition solutions via digital mediums such as mobile applications; virtual consultations are also a part of the industry

Most functional nutrition companies provide personalized nutrition solutions in the form of meal plans, supplements, and prepared meals

The products/platforms offered by most companies utilize AI/ML to enhance their offering

Heali AI

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