Have you ever thought about the state of your metabolic health? And more importantly, do you really understand what metabolic health entails? The term involves, among other factors, the harmonious regulation of blood sugar levels, the effective management of lipids, the maintenance of a healthy weight, the orchestration of hormonal balance and the fight against inflammation.
Now imagine walking into a doctor’s office not only to treat symptoms, but also to meet medical professionals who seek to understand and treat the root causes of your illnesses, rather than simply alleviating their superficial manifestations.
As you enter the clinic, you see how the sterile, clinical atmosphere of traditional medical spaces has given way to an environment that feels more like a wellness center. The walls are decorated with images of fruits and vegetables and the air is filled with the soothing aroma of herbal teas.
This isn’t a typical doctor’s visit; it’s an exploration into the essence of your metabolic wellness. And that journey begins with a comprehensive assessment that goes beyond routine checks. Instead of focusing on symptoms, the medical team focuses in-depth on your metabolic profile.
And the need for such an approach is undoubtedly increasing, as poor metabolic health is main cause of metabolic diseaseswhich now account for more than 74% of deaths worldwide and affect approximately half of all adults worldwide.
For example, diabetes, one of the devastating metabolic diseases for human health, currently affects 468 million people worldwide. An additional 316 million with glucose intolerance are at high risk of the disease, which is expected to rise to 471 million by 2035, according to data from the International Diabetes Federation. watch.
Additionally, with over 800 million people worldwide living with obesityraise public awareness that it is a metabolic disease, improve understanding of its roots and the solutions needed to address it, as well as change society’s perception and response towards it. obesity, remain essential to address this omnipresent health challenge.
CEE countries are also not immune to many of these health problems, as societies across the region experience changes in dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles and increasing prevalence of metabolism troubles. Then there is also THE transformer potential of virtual weight loss clinics that combine behavior change with medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic, and this, albeit slowly, is becoming a trend across the region.
From personalized exercise programs to mindfulness practices, startups working on metabolic health also focus on developing habits that resonate with your unique metabolic rhythm, promoting not only physical health but also mental well-being and emotional.
There’s more to this than just a trip to the doctor; it’s an odyssey into a new era of healthcare – in this article, we explore CEE startups working to make such an approach a reality for regional healthcare systems.
Our list is constantly growing, so please contact us and let us know your suggestions at (email protected)
Country: Poland
What theyre doing: Holi is a Polish digital metabolic health clinic that offers a holistic approach to the treatment of obesity and overweight.
The Polish startup, founded in early 2023 by Polish entrepreneurs Pawel Seweryn and Mikolaj Szymanski, started with, as they say, the most comprehensive health program on the market aimed at treating obesity. As a registered medical entity, the clinic emphasizes the cooperation of experienced nutritionists, scientists and a medical board that oversees the methodology, with the aim of changing the perception of what metabolic health is. Earlier this month, Holi also raised a pre-seed investment of €680K, led by German fund specializing in the HealthTech sector, YZR Capital.
Country: Croatia/Slovenia
What theyre doing: The Croatian-Slovenian food technology startup is developing technologically advanced production of natural detox juices and healthy meals. Its team is made up of a dozen young experts who transform the highest quality natural foods, fruits and vegetables into healthy meals and juices using the high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) processing process.
Unlike conventional pasteurization, the company claims its method allows maximum preservation of taste, color, texture, enzymes and nutrients, while also offering comprehensive plans for a two-day fasting process. or four weeks. Last year, Juicefast raised €750,000 in investment round led by Croatian impact investing venture capitalist It feels good.
Country: Poland
What theyre doing: Founded in 2020, Polish startup Biozoom developed technology that allows biomarker levels to be tested with laboratory precision based on saliva analysis. The technology allows for non-invasive and painless testing, compared to invasive glucometers used to monitor the glucose levels of people with diabetes.
Their monitors also allow accurate, real-time monitoring of biomarkers such as glucose levels, fertility issues, and human metabolism at home. Test results can be sent to the application and analyzed retrospectively. In October this year, the startup announced that it had secured a new undisclosed investment round led by Nordic Link VC fund.
Country: Czech Republic
What theyre doing: Founded in 2019, Vitadio is a Czech platform that develops clinically validated digital therapeutics for type 2 diabetes. Their products constitute a new class of medicines that combine evidence-based approaches with technology to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. 2 on a large scale. The company’s app for iOS and Android is approved to support the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is fully covered by health insurers in Germany.
The app also supports patients between doctor visits with personalized digital care plans and scalable support from its team of registered dietitians. Earlier this year, the Czech company farm a €3 million investment round led by Theras Group and Jafam Holding.
Country: Croatia
What theyre doing: Ani Biome is a Croatian age-tech startup that offers a personalized approach to metabolic health and longevity based on an AI-driven fermented microblend program. The startup provides and quantifies various measures of systemic inflammation and offers personalized metabiotics – fermentation metabolites.
The startup’s platform, AI Vitality Concierge Ani, provides advice to customers through the use of non-invasive diagnostics, including daily psychobiosocial questions, tongue and skin scans, and wearable device data. The platform then uses AI algorithms to create a personalized monthly plan consisting of broad-spectrum metabolites produced through Ani Biome’s multi-level fermentation methodology.
In addition to metabolite research, Ani Biome is also developing a metabolite bank, which currently holds 1,500 and will serve as a unique approach for each client. In May 2023, Ani Biome open a new round of funding, aiming to raise €10 million, and planning to invest most of the funds in their production capacities.
Name: Kcalmar
Country: Poland
What theyre doing: Kcalmar is a Poland-based platform for nutritionists and a marketplace that connects dietitians and patients in Poland.
Founded in 2015, the system covers the supply and demand needs of the nutrition services market, using the innovative Kcalmar.pro software for dietitians, the result of cooperation between specialists in dietetics and programming. The Kcalmar team is made up of young professionals who seek to create the foundations of modern dietetics.
Country: Croatia
What theyre doing: Megi is a Croatian company that offers a cardiovascular health virtual assistant that monitors, educates and supports patients 24/7. Use hard clinical validation, behavioral sciences and AI, the tool allows patients to become active participants in the management of their disease.
As a virtual cardiac nurse, Megi provides each patient with human-like interaction, throughout their daily life, with their illness and treatment plan. The tool was created in one of the largest cardiovascular centers in CEE, the Magdalena Clinic in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, serving as a laboratory for continuous development and experimentation.
Country: Poland
What theyre doing: TiqDiet is a combined online platform and mobile app that helps create and manage successful diets.
Founded in 2016, the SaaS nutrition planning and diet analysis tool connects every dietitian, nutritionist and personal trainer with their clients. The platform helps create diet plans faster and send them to customers via web, mobile or smartwatch. TiqDiet offers rapid creation of diets and recommendations, real-time customer tracking and electronic records for each customer.
Country: Romania
What theyre doing: GenetX is a Romanian biotechnology company, whose solution is a nutrigenomic test based on a single saliva sample and through which patients learn how to lose weight. According to the company, their solutions aim to disrupt the food, wellness and nutritional advice industry.
Founded in 2017, the Romanian biotech aims to democratize access to information, so that “everyone can find therapeutic nutritional solutions based on the genetic code and other analyses”. The Romanian company also seeks to enable nutritionists and clinicians to improve the quality of their services by offering them genetic and microbiological tests for their patients.
Country: Poland
What theyre doing: GlucoActive is a medical technology startup developing non-invasive glucose measurement based on innovative, patent-pending spectroscopy.
Founded in 2019 and based in Wrocław, its first product is a non-invasive glucometer called GlucoStation – a desktop device intended for home use by patients suffering from diabetes. The first GlucoActive device in 2020 underwent initial clinical experience on 60 patients in a diabetology clinic in Wroclaw. The company is currently working on its final wearable device.