Six Japanese brands progressing the personalization of supplements with bio-information and online questionnaires
Supplement subscription services are currently popping up in Japan one after another. Here are some examples from six rising companies, each with their own unique qualities.
Fem server — an on-demand service that syncs with users’ menstrual cycles
The service fem server that tracks hormonal balance during menstrual cycles was jointly developed by Dricos Inc., a company that sells the on-demand personalized supplement IoT dispenser healthServer, and Bbo Co., Ltd, which operates the folic acid supplement brand BELTA .
With fem server, “bio-information”, that includes a woman’s menstrual cycle and daily habits that are tracked by the custom app, “autonomic nerve balance” that’s measured by a specialized home server sensor, and also “problems” of which the customer wants to solve are all set according to the five categories of “diet”, “beauty”, “fertility”, “fatigue” and “concentration”, and in line with changes in life stages. From this, supplements optimized to the user are extracted.
You can set up to 8 IC chip-integrated cartridges in the custom IoT dispenser, and aspects such as expiry dates, remaining quantities, and the maximum daily intake are all handled automatically. Once expired, extraction stops automatically and new stock of the necessary cartridges is ordered. In addition, users evaluate their usage experience and this is accumulated to update the formulas, and amongst themselves, users can also share mixtures and impressions. The service starts from 6,578 yen (US$60) per month.
“VitaNote FOR” prescribes based on nutrient absorption levels gauged from urine samples
Yukashikado Inc. sells VitaNote FOR which checks customers’ nutrient balance and absorption via a urine sample kit and provides made-to-order supplements based on those results. As an outstanding startup, it was selected in 2019 for Shiseido’s Open Innovation program “fibona”.
Through the do-it-yourself-at-home urine sample kit VitaNote, which uses urine analysis technology developed through joint research with the University of Shiga Prefecture, 15 aspects of nutrient balance and nutrient intake are measured.
Based on those results, VitaNote FOR provides made-to-order supplements that balance out customers’ insufficient nutrient levels. On purchasing it, you get delivered 30 packs of supplements per month (1 for each day, so roughly a month’s worth). Along with the basic 10 types of vitamins and minerals, these are also composed of nutrients necessary for improving one’s nutrient balance.
The trial course includes a one-time kit for 8,250 yen (US$75) and one month’s worth of supplements at 8,100 yen (US$73). The regular-checkup course includes the kit, available for 4,950 yen (US$45) per month or up to 6,600 yen (US$60) for every three months, and the supplements which are 5,378 yen (US$49) per month.
KINS BOX — supplements based on users’ normal bacterial skin flora
KINS BOX by KINS Co., Ltd. is a co-creation with venture company TAK-Circulator Corporation ; the latter of which hails from the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. KINS BOX consists of: a kit for examining the distribution of normal bacterial skin flora; supplements (60 tablets for a month) made up of 20 kinds of lactic acid bacteria and yeast fungus and lactic acid bacterium-producing substances; and a service that includes consultation over the messaging app LINE. This is all available for 5,980 yen (US$54.50) per month.
The testing kit measures these four areas: (1) the overall number of micro-organisms on the surface of the face; (2) the number of staphylococcal on the epidermis; (3) the number of acne bacteria; and (4) the number of corynebacterium. Based on this, and through checking against over 1,000 pieces of sample data, it calculates a score representing the bacterial status and notifies about any problems that are likely to occur with your skin. Also, you can chat over LINE to the “Bacteria Concierge” about your skin and bodily issues and receive comprehensive advice, such as information on the medical grounds, correct ways to take the supplements, and how to improve your eating habits.
Blood-increasing supplement Revol that focuses on blood deficiency
The blood-increasing supplement Revol for treating anemia (blood deficiency) has been developed by cart Ltd. based on the health data of over 7,000 working women from five different cities across Japan. Around 50% of Japanese women are anemic, and Revol aims to increase awareness of the symptoms that involve feeling in poor health despite not being a disease. Revol offers supplements that contain five essential nutrients for increasing blood flow and four nutrients that ease the symptoms of anemia (2,980 yen / US$27 for 60 tablets; excludes tax).
On the Revol brand site, you can take a test to find your current “blood power”, and by adjusting your intake in accordance with these results, you can more efficiently consume your necessary amount of nutrients. Through taking the test each month, you can see the changes in your blood power level and appropriately increase or decrease the amount you take.
FUJIMI formulates beauty supplements from a free skin diagnosis
With FUJIMI, the condition of your skin is analyzed from the results of a skin diagnosis test consisting of around 20 questions. Five supplement types are chosen out of a selection of 11, which include vitamins A, C, E and B, collagen and placenta, to create a customized formula, and these are individually encased in packages of 5. From March 2019, it began as a service that delivers monthly packages (6,400 yen / US$58 per month; excludes tax and shipping fees). The supplements are formulated based on interviews with over 120 women and the guidance of experts certified as supplement advisors by ISNF in the US.
Kana Fujii, the representative of Tricot Inc., the company running FUJIMI, is an entrepreneur who during her student days at Yokohama National University launched a publication that introduced beauty products and which she ran until it was acquired. At the time, she suffered from rough skin due to her busy lifestyle, and it was her experience of taking supplements and having her skin improve which led to the business idea of FUJIMI.
FUJIMI’s target market ranges in age from 20s to 40s, and their sales goal for their first year is 400 million yen (US$3.6 million).
Wellvis — supplements that come with a doctor-supervised health check
According to a survey conducted by the women’s wellness publication MYLOHAS, which has hit over 12 million monthly unique users, many within an 80% majority of supplement users indicated that they don’t know if the supplements they take actually suit themselves and, despite their interest in buying them, don’t know how to choose supplements.
Wellvis was launched in December 2019 to tackle these issues. It was developed by a three-party team that includes the Molecular Physiological Chemistry Laboratory, which researches, develops and manufactures supplements for medical institutions, Doctor Masashi Uwabu, who is a pioneer of preventative medicine, and Mediagene Inc. that runs MYLOHAS.
Wellvis picks up the status of users’ daily habits, as well as any inherent problems, via a 26-question doctor-supervised online health check. It then checks the user’s current health status, gives advice and provides supplements containing the necessary nutrients.
The supplement’s formula is a combination of vitamin and mineral base supplements and optional supplements that are necessary for each individual. The necessary amounts for each day are individually packaged and sent in packs of 30-day’s worth.
The pricing is 8,000 yen (US$72.80; excludes tax) for one time, or regular delivery benefits from 15% off at 6,800 yen (US$62; excludes tax) per month. Currently, they handle five use cases, including “increasing beauty effect” and “maintaining energy”, however they’re aiming in the future to expand the optional supplements to cater to different purposes and offer more customizable plans.
Text: Ching Li Tor
Original text (Japanese): Lina Ono
