Diet ID

A Digital Health Solution For Physicians

Company Information

Website:

https://www.dietid.com/

Sector:

Healthcare Software

Location:

Detroit, MI

Diet ID is a digital health solution for physicians.

Its software-as-a-service enables doctors and nutritionists to easily get an idea of a patient’s diet, and create a personalized, effective plan to improve their eating habits. This can be done saving 90% of the time and expenses associated with existing, ineffective solutions.

Diet ID’s advisory team includes the chairman of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University, the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford University, and the inventor of the Glycemic Index, a global measurement of glucose levels in foods.

(Please note: This particular startup is raising funds from accredited investors only. An accredited investor is someone with a net worth of at least $1 million, or annual income of at least $200,000, or $300,000 with their spouse.)

Tracking dietary habits is crucial to maintaining good health. According to a 2018 report from The Milken Institute, an independent “think tank,” the impact of obesity and excess weight — two symptoms of poor eating habits — costs the U.S. healthcare system $1.4 trillion annually. Additional research suggests that unhealthy diets are a leading cause of premature death and a strong predictor of mortality.

But accurately measuring and managing your diet is difficult. Some people choose to track their eating habits on their own, using food journals and mobile apps. A handful of companies with these products have been acquired for large sums, for example:

• In 2015, Under Armour acquired health-tracking app MyFitnessPal for $475 million.

• In 2017, Castlight Health acquired Jiff, a mobile platform that helps companies manage healthcare solutions, for $135 million.

• And in 2015, Weight Watchers acquired Weilos, a startup enabling users to track their weight loss efforts using pictures.

Other people ask their physicians for help losing weight or adjusting their diet. 73% of physicians feel that patient visits should include nutrition guidance. However, only 15% feel “totally prepared” to offer this kind of advice. Those that do spend up to 2 hours collecting dietary information using paper-based tools, making it cost and time prohibitive.

Diet ID enables physicians to offer dietary advice quickly and with more effective results. Here’s how:

The key to Diet ID’s platform is the ability for physicians to make diet assessments using image-based pattern recognition.

Patients use various images of food to select the ones that accurately portray their eating habits. From there, physicians can create an assessment and a risk score, along with personalized goals and challenges.

Included in the platform are behavior tracking features and a social accountability system that allows patients to compare their progress with others, helping them stay on track.

This software has proven to be beneficial to physicians and their patients. Some of the key benefits include:

Accuracy - Clinical trials show a high correlation between this approach and success with weight loss goals.

Proven Engagement - 70% of patients whose physicians use this software stick with their plan for at least 30 days.

Impact - So far, 55% of patients have lost at least 10 pounds, and intake of fruits and vegetables increased by an average of 91%.

Ease of Use - Physicians report that Diet ID makes completing dietary assessments and plans 90% faster than paper-based tools.

Diet ID has a three-phase plan to disrupting the health and wellness market:

• In Phase 1, the company will target physicians looking to be “early adopters” of its software. This presents a $1.7 billion opportunity.

• In Phase 2, the company plans to take its software mainstream and target a $39 billion market.

• Finally, in Phase 3, Diet ID believes its software could become the standard of care for every healthcare and disease management company, presenting a $200 billion opportunity.

Diet ID has received investments from VCs including Backstage Capital and Relevance Capital.

In 2019, the company received $400,000 in booking revenues from physicians looking to use its software, and its client list includes leaders in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition research.

Based on projections, Diet ID aims to finish 2019 with $1 million in revenues, and increase to $3 million in 2020.

Team Background

Dina Aronson - Lead Dietitian

Prior to joining Diet ID, Dina was the owner of Welltech Solutions, a company helping healthcare companies incorporate health and wellness tools into their business strategy. She worked at this company for 20 years.

Before that, she was a wellness manager for Restaurant Associates, a New York-based company that promoted nutritional habits and culinary programs to businesses.

Dina earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Tufts University.

David Katz - CEO

David is globally recognized for his expertise in nutrition, weight management, and preventing chronic disease.

He holds 5 U.S. patents, and is the inventor of the Overall Nutritional Quality Index algorithm. This standard for rating the nutritional content of food is used all across the U.S.

He founded Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, one of 26 prevention research centers under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Throughout his career, he has founded several health-centric companies. Most recently, he was Chief Science Officer for Better Therapeutics, a digital health company focused on treating common chronic diseases.

Before that, he founded True Health Initiative, a networking company for experts and influencers in the areas of health promotion and preventative medicine. Earlier, he spent three years as a health advisor for Fitbit, a fitness tracker manufacturer that was recently acquired by Google for $2.1 billion.

David has authored an estimated 200 peer-reviewed publications, and was a 2019 finalist for a James Beard Foundation Award in the category of health journalism.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, an MD from Yeshiva University, and a degree from Yale University School of Medicine.

Rachna Govani - Chief Operating Officer

Rachna has been with Diet ID since April 2019.

Before that, she was co-founder and CEO of Foodstand, a startup helping people build healthier eating habits through guided challenges. This company was eventually acquired by Diet ID.

Notably, she spent four years with American Express, working as a marketing manager and a senior manager for interactive new product development.

She earned a degree in Economics and Psychology from New York University.

Vijay Pai - Director of Operations

Vijay joined Diet ID following an extensive career with SC Johnson, a consumer goods company.

He began his career there as a transportation analyst, then moved on to become a customer marketing analyst and finally a senior associate in the company’s advertising division.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree from the University of Florida.

Co-Investors

Backstage Capital

Venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies led by women, people of color, and LGBT founders.

Relevance Capital

A VC group providing early-stage companies with guidance and funding.

Raising
$1 million
Committed
$234.999K (23%)
Current Valuation
$6.55 million
Min. Investment
$10000
Deal Type
Title II
(For accredited investors only)
Offering Type
Equity
Finance History
Notable Investors
  • Backstage Capital
  • Relevance Capital
Learn more on SeedInvest