Nutrition platform Lifesum buys LYKON to give its users better insights

LYKON, a German biomarker-based personalized nutrition company, will remain in operation

Lifesum is a nutrition platform that wants to democratize healthy eating by empowering people with tools to understand their personal nutritional needs. The idea is to enable smarter food choices, whether someone wants to reach a healthy weight, build healthy eating habits, or extend their longevity.

For users to stay on track with their wellness goals, they need better insight into their own progress, and so the company announced on Wednesday its acquisition of LYKON, a German  biomarker-based personalized nutrition company. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed. 

"LYKON offers a range of at-home tests combined with personalization technology to give customers deep insights into their nutritional needs, metabolic types, and overall well-being. They are the market leader in Germany," Markus Falk, CEO of Lifesum, told VatorNews.

"We started Lifesum with the belief that nutrition is deeply personal. With the LYKON acquisition, we’re adding a deeper level of personalization. Combining biomarkers with our world class software design is a truly unique offering that we’re bringing to millions of people globally. In the end, we believe our users will achieve better results."

Lifesum provides its users with a detailed breakdown of their protein, carb, and fat intake, including sugars, fiber, saturated fats, and more, allowing them to adjust their nutrient intake to fit their personal preferences.

Over 65 million people currently use Lifesum globally, with its core users typically being health-conscious Gen Z and Millennials who want to actively track how they eat to ensure they achieve their recommended macro and micro nutrients. They also can use Lifesum’s recipes and meal plans to explore new ways of eating.

In addition to monitoring its users nutritional intake, Lifesum partnered with ŌURA in 2023 to add sleep tracking as well in order to understand the relationship between sleep and nutrition.

Founded in 2018 in Berlin, LYKON specializes in at-home biomarker testing tests to improve personal health, combining genetics, blood analyses, psychology, and nutritional science to offer customized health solutions. The company, which has raised €16 million in venture funding will continuing operating going forward, though Lifesum will integrate its technology onto its platform over time.

"We are working on the initial steps right now. We're planning to bring new and exciting things to our users during Fall," said Falk.

"We will offer a deeper level of personalization, enhanced feedback, and improved progress tracking, ultimately leading to better health outcomes. While we are already effective in supporting users on their wellness journeys, these advancements will enable us to deliver even greater value moving forward."

In addition to delivering more value to Lifesum's users, the company also expects the purchase of LYKON to grow its business over the next several years by enhancing its capabilities and tapping into new market segments.

"We believe this strategic move aligns well with our growth objectives," said Falk. "Lifesum is on the path to develop an ecosystem of connected services centered around nutrition. The LYKON acquisition is a major step towards that vision. We will continue developing the ecosystem, adding new service layers and building intuitive, integrated experiences."

(Image source: lykon.de)