A smart ecosystem transforming healthcare through exercise.
Food fear is inspiring fact-checking.
On Guard
US food quality is under fire, and public perception is forcing the industry’s hand.
Led by the MAHA movement, ultra-processed foods and artificial dyes are in the crosshairs, the FDA is fast-tracking natural alternatives, and HHS vowed to strip corporate interests from the nation’s dietary guidelines.
Still, trust is eroding. Faith in federal food safety hit a record low, and only 25% of consumers trust government food scientists.
Feeding fear. Unwilling to accept claims at face value, many are placing trust in themselves.
On guard, 70% monitor ingredients they deem harmful, and over half rely on social media or personal research to vet nutrition claims. Still, 72% of Americans struggle to identify UPFs, and only a fifth rate their diets as “very healthy.”
Ironically, those most confident in their food knowledge often overestimate the quality of their eating.
Conscious Consumption
Beyond calories and macros, new tools are helping consumers identify hidden additives, toxins, and microplastics, separating marketing from fact.
Intel. France-born Yuka rates grocery products while pressuring manufacturers to improve. With 70M users, including a third in the US, it’s a powerful watchdog. Keeping it simple, influencer Bobby Parrish’s Bobby Approved app delivers a yes/no verdict.
Pushing transparency, ZOE’s new shopping app ranks UPFs by health risk. Crunching nutrition data, FoodHealth (fka bitewell) now powers health scores for consumers and retailers like Kroger.
Integrating, AI platforms like Tastewise and Innit inform Big Food R&D, while January AI licensed its digital twin nutrition tech to Mars.
Archives. Creating public databases, Open Food Facts, TrueFood, and EWG’s Healthy Living track hidden chemicals in our food.
Sussing out heavy metals and microplastics, Bryan Johnson wants to sequence the American foodome, while Oasis tests water and supplements.
Unfiltered. Still, despite rising awareness, vegetable consumption is declining as UPF sales grow, meaning good intentions aren’t leading to better habits.
Bridging the gap, Oura’s new Meals feature analyzes food quality and offers swaps. Meanwhile, startups like Fay, Nourish, and Foodsmart are scaling access to registered dietitians.
Punchline: People are starting to eat like their lives depend on it, but meaningful change requires shared standards and better data across the entire food system.
🎙 On the Podcast
Epicore Biosystems co-founder and CEO Dr. Roozbeh Ghaffari discusses sweat-sensing tech.
Developing noninvasive wearables, Epicore’s platform monitors hydration, electrolytes, and other key biomarkers for performance, wellness, and industrial safety.
We also cover: Expanding beyond sports use cases, scaling through enterprise partnerships, and building a real-time health platform.
Listen to today’s episode here
🧠 Sword Health moves beyond MSK
The AI care platform raised $40M at a $4B valuation and launched a new mental health service.
Care loop. Known for treating musculoskeletal pain, Sword has hosted 6.5M AI-driven PT sessions for 500K members since 2020. It added pelvic floor therapy and wearables to deepen engagement and outcomes.
Head first. With demand for behavioral care surging, Sword launched Mind, a proactive mental health service targeting anxiety and depression. Outcome-based, it only charges employers when users improve.
AI-led. Combining clinical oversight with AI agents, Sword is scaling care in fields facing provider shortages. The goal: deliver high-touch support that’s cost-effective and personalized.
Still building. As Hinge Health and Omada launch IPOs, Sword is holding off, planning another funding round in 2026 while exploring new verticals like cardiovascular, GI, and speech care.
Looking ahead: Sword is betting that labor-intensive care can be reimagined through AI, unlocking a scalable, global solution across mind and body.
🏋️ Reimagining the gym
EGYM is bringing intelligence to every fitness floor.
Cutting-edge. EGYM’s Genius AI integrates data across smart machines, apps, and services from 200+ partners to create hyper-personalized training plans for every exerciser.
Adaptable. Adjusting to individual goals, fitness levels, and available equipment, its unique ecosystem meets gym-goers and operators where they are.
Effective. Ushering in a new era of workouts, EGYM’s tech makes trainers more efficient, analog machines smarter, fitness more fun, and members more motivated to come back.
It’s AI for the entire gym. It’s the future of fitness. And it’s available now.
Learn more at EGYM.com.
💰 Gen Z & millennials fuel wellness spending
Young consumers represent 36% of US adults but drive 41% of the nation’s $500B annual wellness spend, per McKinsey.
Underserved. Despite their influence, key priorities like mental health, cognitive performance, and gut health remain unmet. Searching for outcomes, they’re driving high-growth categories.
Functional nutrition. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials bought functional products last year. They’re prioritizing ingredients like fiber, nootropics, and adaptogens for gut health, cognition, and immunity.
Beauty x performance. Gen Z ranks appearance as a top-three health goal. In 2024, 53% increased spending on cosmetic procedures, blurring the line between skincare, supplements, and longevity treatments.
Longevity, rebranded. 60% of global consumers say aging well is a top priority. But younger buyers are shifting from anti-aging promises to performance-based solutions for energy, recovery, and focus.
Immersive wellness. Last year, 56% of US consumers traveled over two hours for a wellness service, and 60% plan to do it again. From hot-cold therapy to yoga intensives, experiences that restore and inspire are in demand.
Takeaway: Younger consumers aren’t waiting for better wellness; they’re building it. Brands that meet their expectations for results, personalization, and cultural relevance will win the next generation.
📰 News & Notes
- Equinox Hotels targets Nashville.
- Wellness spending isn’t making us healthier.
- Centr debuts official HYROX competition turf.
- Headspace rolls out insurance-backed DTC therapy.
- Texas approves $50M for psychedelic ibogaine trials.
- Lumati installs longevity station at Hotel del Coronado.
- GymNation makes key exec hires, earns FastCo honors.
- CrossFit, Levels partner for metabolic nutrition coaching.
- Women’s Tennis Association adds fertility protection rule.
- Beekeeper’s Naturals unveils prebiotic fiber lollipops for kids.
- SiPhox Health launches AI-powered tool decoding blood tests.
- PR vet Heather Morris introduces AIIR, a modern comms agency for wellness brands.
- Featured role: Head of Finance at a luxury social wellness club focused on holistic health and community.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Digital MSK care provider Sword Health raised $40M in a round led by General Catalyst, reaching a $4B valuation.
Protein supplements maker Equip Foods secured funding from HighPost Capital.
Supplement maker Veracity raised $6M in a Series A led by Maveron and Melitas Ventures.
ICHRA health plan provider Zorro raised $20M in a Series A round.
Functional mushrooms supplement maker Umbo secured $1.07M in funding.
Healthy snack maker All In Food (fka This Bar Saves Lives) landed $4M in a round led by Obvious Ventures.
Nimbus Health, a network of pulmonary care clinics, raised $12M in a seed round.
Genstar Capital acquired youth sports management platform PlayMetrics and merged it with sports software platform Stack Sports.
Quilt Health, a platform connecting those with complex conditions to clinical trials, raised $6M in a seed round.
Europe 🇪🇺
Switzerland’s Aeon, provider of AI-enabled full-body health screenings, closed a €8.2M ($9.4M) seed round.
Thermal resort operator Therme Group signed a $1B strategic partnership with investment firm CVC, forming holding company Therme Horizon.
UK-based virtual cancer care platform Perci Health raised £3M ($4M).
SpAce by Nine Fitness, a boutique gym from former Spanish footballer Fernando Torres, added €467K ($539K) in funding.
Asia 🌏
Indian AI-enabled badminton coaching platform Machaxi raised $1.5M in a round led by Rainmatter.
Israel’s Lembas, maker of GLP-1-activating peptide ingredients, closed an oversubscribed $3.6M pre-seed round.
India-based gut health platform Iom Bioworks raised Rs 4 crore ($464K) in funding.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
