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The ketogenic diet has been all the rage In recent years, a health and wellness start-up based in San Francisco hopes to capitalize on this craze.
To help achieve this goal, The key to raised $ 2.5 million at a fundraising event led by David Sacks' Craft enterprises.1
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Funding also included the participation of Valve, Abstract companies and Hydra Ventures as good as Julia Hartz, Eventbrite co-founder and CEO, and Kevin Hartzwho co-founded Eventbrite and is an early investor in Pinterest, Pay Pal and Airbnb.
True to its name, Keyto describes itself as a health program that includes a smart breath sensor that detects whether the body is in ketosis (a condition in which it burns fat rather than sugars and carbohydrates as fuel) and an application. scientist who provides personalized information. dietary and lifestyle recommendations based on the physiology of the individual. The device, says Keyto, detects ketones in the blood via the breathalyzer, which according to Wu is less messy and more accurate than urine test strips or blood tests.
Keyto was formed in August but CEO Ray Wu (photo below) said Crunchbase News that the founding team had been working on the principle behind it for the past five years. Keyto's ability to raise seed money from relatively well-known investors stems from the fact that the startup's offerings are based on science, he said. Wu, a doctor, also co-founded Weiloswho in 2015 has been sold Weight Watchers International to serve as a basis for its Connect application.
"In the past year, the ketogenic diet has become one of the most popular diets in the United States. We believe the market is ripe for a device like Keyto, which can help people achieve their goals more effectively, "said Sacks, co-founder and general partner of Craft Ventures, in a statement. "The proven track record of the Keyto team, combined with the unique form factor of its product, make it a very compelling investment."
Co-founder Dr. Ethan Weiss, who is also associate professor and preventive cardiologist at the University of California at San Francisco, said in a statement that the company had been striving to simplify the science behind the ketogenic diet "with a device capable of following Real-time metabolism with an app that provides concrete recommendations to help people lose weight fast while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "
Keyto will use these funds to develop the research and development of its gas nanosensor, as well as its manufacturing capabilities, according to Wu.
"The first thing we are going to do with the funds is to produce the first batch of devices. The first units should start shipping in January, "Wu said. Crunchbase News. "We will start by selling them online and then by retail later in 2019."
The company will continue its efforts to "improve the device," he added.
"We see ourselves as a hardware-compatible software company," said Wu Crunchbase News. "So we are going to spend a lot of money developing software to help people succeed in this program."
Illustration: Li-Anne Dias
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