Last month, global nutrition giant DSM acquired a 50% stake in personalised nutrition start-up Mixfit as it looked to enter the B2C space.
In this Editor’s Spotlight NutraIngredients takes a look at how Mixfit and DSM are working together - and showcases the companies pioneering personalised nutrition solutions.
Speaking to NutraIngredients as part of our new Editor’s Spotlight video series Kimberly Smith, vice president of personalised nutrition at DSM said the company has become ‘very active’ in trying to understand ‘what’s out there’ and working with companies to execute on new developments.
“What we are seeing today are specialists in certain verticals inside this personalised nutrition ecosystem, and where we want to see it go - and where we think it's going to go in the next five to ten years - is that that ecosystem is going to come together,” she noted.
Smith said Mixfit, is one of number of companies DSM is working with as partners to try and develop an ecosystem in the personalised nutrition space.
“You're going to have the diagnostics side of it coalescing with the health advice side, together with the personalised solution,” she noted - adding that feedback loops that then help to understand if solutions are working and providing benefit are also very important.
“I think we need to get some of these companies aligned. We have a lot of specialists, and we've got to get people to work together,” said Smith. “It's going to be about partnerships, collaborations, and really working together. That's what DSM is really trying to do.”
We're already collaborating with partners in a lot of these different spaces, and for us the next step is really bringing all of those partners together into one ecosystem that you can execute on.
The view is shared by Mixfit president and CEO, Reza Zanjani, who told NutraIngredients that he has seen the company and product develop from initial concept to working machines in just two years.
“As a startup we cannot do this alone,” he said. “That's why the ecosystem is extremely important.”
“DSM has propelled us forward, not only in their unparalleled nutritional science but also assisting the startup in advancing in ‘go to market’ and other parallels - so that we can become commercial, and consumers can benefit from this next year.”
What is Mixfit?
The company started 2 years ago, and has looked to use multiple health inputs to create an ‘in home’ personalised nutrition for consumers.
Zanjani said the company spent a long time working on new technologies, developing software, and implementing blockchain. The aim, he says is to capture and aggregate data from various sources and then apply and individualise this data using a unique algorithm to provide a nutrient-rich drink that meets an individuals needs.
He noted that in addition to being able to provide an ‘individualised end product product ‘true personalisation’ requires more more real-time interaction and engagement with consumers than has been traditionally possible.
“I would like to say that Mixfit is the first case of that, that is coming to market,” said Zanjani. “Consumers need to be able to have the solution resonate with them, it needs to be seamless for them- to fit into their life. And, it needs to deliver that impact, and be able to measure that … what they are doing and what they are actually consuming is helpful and is improving their health.”
Mixfit first unveiled its personalised nutrition solution at the Vitafoods show in Geneva. The solution combines cloud-based software and app with a ‘state of the art’ machine that dispenses drinks.
“Mixifit is based on technology, engineering, and cutting edge nutrition,” said Marco Iotti co-founder and CTO of Mixfit.
“With technology we are collecting data to cover all the requirements that we need to validate the profile of the people. With cutting edge engineering we managed to create machines that cost not too much, and have a very precise distribution system. And with the cutting edge nutrition we are able to mimic, - with an algorithm - the way that your body is acting.”
