Berlin-headquartered Baze launched in 2018, opening an office in Boston and offering US consumers an at-home blood testing kit to measure an individual’s micronutrient levels. Data from the test is then used to recommend a set of monthly supplements.
Nature’s Way led the Series A fundraising round which totaled $6 million.
“Our investment in BAZE as a long-term strategic investment. Consumers are showing increased interest in personalized nutrition and it has always been the mission of Nature’s Way to help more people find a better way to wellness,” Nature’s Way president and CEO Mike Devereux told us.
“With consumers growing interest in personalized medicine and the unique technology that BAZE has pioneered, we see this as an attractive way to learn and grow.”
In a press release, Baze said the funds will “expand its marketing efforts to educate mass consumers on the importance of truly personalized supplements.”
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Company growth so far
Since its launch, the average growth rate of new US subscribers month-over-month has been 40%, Baze co-founder and CEO Philipp Schulte told us.
In terms of expansion strategy, “we are currently focused on the US and are looking to expand next year to other markets,” he added.
In its press release, the company boasted that within the first three months of users following their personalized supplement regimens, two-thirds of nutrient deficiencies were ‘eliminated.’
“This is based on comparing the blood micronutrient status (e.g. biomarkers such as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol for vitamin D or alpha-tocopherol for vitamin E) as measured by our laboratory at baseline when a user starts on the program and after three months when the first re-test is due,” he explained.
“We define the respective thresholds to deficiency for our biomarkers according to guidelines published by institutions such as the National Institutes of Health.”
What’s in it for Nature’s Way?
According to Devereux: "Nature’s Way sees personalized nutrition as a relatively new and quickly growing segment of the overall health and wellness space.
As consumers are able to gain specific insights on their nutritional status, we believe that there is a great opportunity to personalize recommendations, provide people with improved solutions and expand the overall supplement category. This will likely lead to improved category insights, new product insights and the ability to develop new services that help consumers on their journey to wellness."