Startup: Hologram Sciences focusing on personalised nutrition

16-May-2022 - Last updated on 16-May-2022 at 13:56 GMT

Hologram Sciences vitamin D kit

Hologram Sciences, a "brand incubator" was launched by Dutch multinational corporation, DSM, just under one year ago as a dedicated entity for consumer-facing personalised nutrition solutions.

Some of the team were at Vitafoods, Geneva, to explain what the Vitamin D part of their startup is all about.

James Bauly, Chief Development Officer explained: “We are a health-tech company and we focus on personalised nutrition within a small startup team which is allows us to be very agile and fast. We research, design, and then build personalised nutrition solutions, which we then go and launch direct to consumers.

We do that to build up a certain amount of proof of concept and when those solutions reach a particular threshold, we then take them to DSM customers to look at hardship or licencing opportunities.”

Brand incubator

James said the company sees itself as a brand incubator really dedicated to personalised nutrition explaining that all their concepts are built around some kind of diagnostic feature, that could be a finger-prick test, a saliva test, or even as simple as a food frequency questionnaire, but that it is the diagnostic element that allows the team to profile a user with respect to a particular nutrient status, or hormone status.

He added: “Based on that information, we then have a digital platform, which is processing the data, and then making recommendations against that data. And that digital platform is also providing the user interface, which is often an app. And then the third element is delivering the specific nutritional products to address whatever health condition we're focusing on.”

The team first focused on delivering a fast-acting vitamin D solution to support people’s immunity through the Covid crisis. They concentrated on a much faster acting, novel vitamin D solution which they offer together with a vitamin D test.

The kit arrives as a single 30-day supply option or a three-month supply. The subscription includes access to a free app providing users with actionable information to help them understand their immune health more precisely.

The app also includes access to live coaching from registered dietitians who can answer individual questions and provide tips for staying on course. Consumers choosing the subscription option will also receive a free two-pack vitamin D test kit to test vitamin D levels.

Personal experience

James added: “The diagnostic piece used at home and then as a user of the app, you can receive your results at home along with recommendations on products and lifestyle including exercise, stress, sleep – all those things that impact immunity. This combined personal experience is designed to optimise and strengthen immunity.”

The startup is now having partnership conversations with DSM customers, brand owners who would be interested in taking the concept and repositioning it in their portfolio.

James added: “The idea is that on behalf of brand owners, dealers and customers, we're basically the branding space. We're proving our concept and we're doing the heavy lifting on the design and development. And that then allows the brand owner ultimately, to move more quickly when the concept has been proven out and ready.”

This is just one example of what the Hologram Science team is focusing on but their ultimate goal is to drill down onto health issues that don’t require medical intervention, things that can be addressed through lifestyle and nutrition. As well as immunity, the team will be looking at ways to improve gut health, brain health and have come up with a solution to help women going through the menopause.