Founder Andrew Herr fountain, wants to customize their healthcare. This one-size-fits-all approach isn’t working, he says. But for that, we need better data. “The current data we have is garbage.”
Having worked with the military and executives to optimize their health, Herr has an interest in expanding beyond that elite niche to a wider audience. It’s a step-by-step approach, and he hopes each step will make it more affordable.
“There are a few different issues with how healthcare is set up right now,” he explains. “First, there are these studies and clinical trials that are based on a small number of people, usually about 20 to 40 people. Third, the current incentive is to publish more papers and research, because that is what medical research funds. I have.”
Herr said it would take thousands of people to build a better data set, rather than a small group for clinical trials. We need humans instead of rats. Also, instead of a few simple blood tests, blood tests should be done over a longer period of time in combination with other forms of testing and investigation.
Working with executives through his coaching business (which pays him about $3,000 a month), he already has some of this data. But you have to scale up. It costs money and needs more support.
Fount announced this week that it has raised $12 million in Series A funding. Plus, he’s part of a team that has the skill set to move in this broader direction. For example, his co-founder Clayton Kim has a background in machine learning and AI, and worked as a data scientist at a large company before working on Fount. Herr repeats.
“We get so much data per client. What we need is about 5000 people to go through the program. It doesn’t take a crazy number of people to get an accurate model that you can use to build.”
Herr is already developing products that address the following challenges: jet lag, as proof to some extent. And he claims it’s effective and helps nearly all of his clients deal with the unpleasant effects of jet lag. He advises on techniques for monthly pain relief.
Herr plans to launch sleep-focused products in the coming months. Basically, he wants to address normal lifestyle issues such as sleep, stress, mood and focus. All of these cost less than his monthly coaching fees, but are still considered “premium” services.
But his goal is to be able, within a few years, to bring the price down significantly so that it can compete with monthly gym memberships and yoga class passes. We’re not doing this to anyone, we want to reach as many Americans as possible.”
Supplements aren’t the only answer. It combines techniques such as lifestyle changes, sleep, meditation, exercise and nutrition. “Supplements work. But to really make a difference, you have to take the right amount at the right time.”
This kind of customized approach could help Americans address the underlying causes of inflammation and so many chronic conditions that can be reversed by non-medical interventions, he argues. do.
In fact, the world of medicine requires pretty tight regulation, so Herr and his colleagues led Fount down the wellness path instead. “But honestly, I think many lifestyle diseases can be cured without prescription drugs. .
And while there are plenty of health tech gizmos that people can use to monitor their sleep, activity, stress, and more, we’ve found that these companies aren’t all that effective at providing solutions. They say you’re not sleeping well, but they’re not just going to bed early and advising you on how to fix it. I would like to be able to convey to each person.”
Can Fount look more holistically at the human body and be part of America’s transition to personalized healthcare? This week’s funding announcement is just the beginning.