Since early 2023, Nutricode founders Mathieu Kremeth and Romain Del Friuli have injected over 700 research papers into a database.
Leveraging their background in data science and AI research, the duo then built a type of algorithm called ensemble learning, which utilises the database to give personalised recommendations on dietary supplements.
“What we wanted is to create a seamless journey to do two things — the first is to solve users’ issues through supplements, and the second is to help them understand why these supplements would solve their issues.
“There is a lot of information out there, which can be confusing and hard to understand. Consumers are not too dumb to understand; it’s just that the information is not brought to them in a smart way. Our mission is to present science in layman terms so that everyone will be able to comprehend and trust,” Kremeth told NutraIngredients-Asia.
The process begins with a quiz to find out the areas where the user wishes to improve in, after which a set of three to five supplements with specific dosage will be recommended.
Kremeth said that the role of the platform is not just to tell users what supplements to consume, but also to empower them to take full control of their health and nutrition by making informed choices.
“We try to make the quiz as short as possible. There are a bunch of companies proposing quizzes that ask an extensive list of questions, but they don’t even take the answers into account when giving recommendations.
“And we realised that if we simply give recommendations, it will still be as confusing as before because the consumer does not know how or why these specific supplements are going to benefit them. Therefore, we also want to help people easily navigate the endless amount of research data.”
After a user has selected the supplements, each set of daily dose will be packed into a sachet, then a box of 30 sachets packaged and shipped to their doorstep.
“We work with two best-in-class supplement suppliers from the US and Canada, who have in place product quality and safety controls. Some of the supplements are vegan, or made without flavouring or any additives. These labels are all available on our website.
“For a supplement to work, you need to be consistent with it. Yet, many people have said that they struggle with consistency. Our monthly subscription model was started to address this problem.”
Elevating life experience
Kremeth and Del Friuli believe that supplements today are something that enhances overall quality of life, rather than just a treatment method.
“With supplements, people can push the boundaries of their everyday experience — you can literally sleep better, train harder, have more energy, be happier etc. So many mental health issues can be tackled successfully with supplements, instead of high-toxicity medicines.
“It’s really about getting more out of life on a daily basis. We are trying to build this whole trust around supplements, and make people see that supplements are very much the building blocks of everyday energy and well-being.”
In addition, Del Friuli has observed a significant rise in interest on longevity, on top of continued growth in categories like active nutrition, cognitive support, and mental health.
“This is where personalisation and our platform come into play. Let’s say, if you want to improve concentration at work, there are supplements that specifically target this. If you want more endurance or to lose fat, there are supplements perfect for these different needs, too.”
Singapore and beyond
The “massive mindset around optimisation of health” and high adoption of digitised products among the Singapore population have allowed Nutricode to enjoy a promising retention rate.
“We hear from our customers that they are pleasantly surprised to see a desired effect after taking the supplements, so they have kept the subscriptions running. A huge value-add of our platform is that we follow the effective dose proven by science.
“Oftentimes, the recommended dose on a bottle doesn’t mean it is the correct dose. Our platform has gone through all the research to elucidate the actual dose where study participants saw a significant positive impact. I think that’s why people are seeing good results and are happy to continue staying with us,” Kremeth shared.
While Singapore is its sole market at the moment, the firm has been in talks with logistics partners in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia to expand into these countries.
Nutricode identifies Indonesia as a strong potential market due to its population size and emerging nutra sector, whereas the opportunity in Australia lies in local consumers who “care a lot” about healthy eating and improving their lifestyle.
At the same time, the company is continuously working on upgrading its algorithm as it gets fed with more customer data over time, with plans to launch a new version in the near future.
Personalisation and Emerging Tech will be a major topic of focus at Growth Asia Summit 2024 this year – join us in Singapore to learn more on insights from major industry experts, find out more here.