Holland & Barrett has acquired fitness startup Avie as part of its strategy to “reach beyond retail through the creation of personalised wellness solutions”.
Avie analyses health and activity data from users’ wearable devices like Fitbits and Apple Watches and phones, and combines it with their lifestyle information. Through a private and supportive chatbot “actionable insights, timely nudges and realistic advice” are then served back to users.
The startup was founded by Charlie Leggate and Kit Logan, who will both join the H&B Wellness Futures Team to build Avie’s technology into Holland & Barrett’s digital services and solutions.
“We want to become a trusted partner to help people achieve their health and wellness goals – and to do that we want to offer simple ways to test, track and improve your health, built on our 150 years’ experience in health and nutrition,” said Tamara Rajah, chief business & science officer at Holland & Barrett.
“Avie’s simple nudges based on biometrics have shown real promise in helping its users to improve their lifestyles and we are looking forward to working with Charlie and Kit to integrate this into our wider services and solutions,” Rajah added.
Last summer, Holland & Barrett acquired femtech startup Parla, a “first-ever virtual support system to improve women’s mental wellness after pregnancy loss and beyond” as part of its efforts to offer “personalised wellness solutions”.
Last month the retailer launched a range of at-home blood tests which give users their results via an app called Ivie Wellness.
“Many people who want to be healthier constantly try to make positive changes, but the fittech market is not accessible to all,” Leggate said. “We take a fresh approach by combining years of recorded health and fitness data with the details of a user’s lifestyle to create an entirely personalised experience.
“In a personalised, supportive and achievable way, Avie embeds long-term lifestyle change,” he added.
No comments yet