Food-as-medicine AI platform targets over 200 chronic conditions with personalized nutrition plans and therapeutic dietary protocols.
Food-as-medicine platform Heali has emerged from stealth with $3 million in seed funding for its evidence-based, personalized approach to nutrition. With a focus on combating the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, Heali aims to empower individuals by democratizing access to the benefits of nutrition.
Heali’s platform is underpinned by its integrated AI, which the company says caters to over 200 chronic conditions, providing users with personalized nutrition plans, meal planning, and access to evidence-based therapeutic dietary protocols.
“We’ve mapped out the evidence against 200 conditions for how nutrition can impact people – from autoimmune conditions to gastrointestinal to neurological conditions,” said Kyle Dardashti, CEO of Heali. “We want to give people both the knowledge and power to sustain evidence-based lifestyles regardless of what condition they have, and inspire a movement where food can be the first option to combat disease – not the last.”
Key features of the Heali platform include personalized nutrition plans, evidence-based recommendations, meal planning and tracking, and a real-time scanner for product information in grocery stores or restaurant menus. The platform’s database integrates millions of food products and recipes, analyzed by clinical-grade AI and peer-reviewed medical evidence.
Heali’s efforts to achieve clinical-grade health outcomes in clinical trials through its beta period has earned recognition from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The company revealed details of a trial focused on patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which it says showed a 2.6x improvement in the quality of life and a 2x greater symptom improvement for patients using the Heali app.
“By partnering with Heali, we’ve been able to evolve our technology and grant patients the ability to adhere to the personalized dietary protocols recommended,” said Dr Ernst Schaefer of Boston Heart Diagnostics, one of Heali’s early healthcare partners. “We are seeing significant enthusiasm on the part of patients that are utilizing Heali.”
With the recent seed funding, led by Astanor Ventures, Heali plans to expand its product roadmap, enhance its commercialization model, and introduce 1:1 CDC-recognized health coaching (currently in beta). Future plans include adding meal kit delivery options and forging more strategic partnerships.
“Heali is advancing personal care by offering an accessible and affordable way for anyone, anywhere, to leverage food as medicine and achieve sustainable nutrition practices,” said George Powlick, Partner at Astanor Ventures. “We believe that Heali will be the future of personalized food choices, and Astanor is thrilled to support the company on its mission to enable food as medicine through technology.”
Beyond its consumer app, Heali also provides its infrastructure as a Software as a Service (SaaS) model it calls Heali Intel, which is designed to support food businesses transitioning into food-as-medicine enterprises.