We’ve entered an era of mass customization when it comes to virtually everything but what happens when it comes to your nutrition. Enter Buddy Nutrition, the LA startup that offers a transparent and accessible option for personalized nutrition. The company’s first product is a daily wellness shot that is custom manufactured based on an AI-powered analysis of users’ diet and lifestyle goals. The shot can include your daily vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and even caffeine for an extra jolt. The company has plans to launch other forms of personalized supplements including meal replacement and protein powders.
LA TechWatch sat down with President Dan Obegi to learn more about the company’s plans for personalized nutrition.
Tell us about the product or service Buddy Nutrition offers.
Buddy Nutrition is a personalized nutrition platform. We use AI to get to know our customer and then custom manufacture functional foods for them based on their diet and lifestyle goals. Our first product is a daily wellness shot that’s fortified with all of your daily vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, replacing your daily vitamins and supplements. It can also include caffeine, so for less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you get your morning caffeine boost plus all of your vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Currently, we can make over 1.6B combinations of daily wellness shots. In the near future, we’ll be launching personalized protein powders and meal replacement powders.
How is Buddy Nutrition different?
Our Buddy Shots are the first personalized nutrition product in a convenient pre-made shot.
Who do you consider to be your main competitors?
Either off the shelf wellness shots or personalized pill supplement companies like Care/of and Persona Nutrition.
What market is Buddy Nutrition attacking and how big is it?
The $50B supplement market
What is the business model?
Direct-to-consumer subcom initially, then standard SKU’s via retail as phase two.
Tell us a little about your background and what inspired the business?
I was Chief Digital Officer at GNC and realized that purchasing bottles of standard SKU pills at brick-and-mortar stores was dead. The market wants personalization and convenience. Also, nobody likes pills, and everyone needs help determining what they want.
Tell us what building your company in LA has been like?
I’ve built several businesses in LA and have always been fortunate to have world-class talent and world-class investors so close.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
Overwhelming consumer love via word of mouth brand growth and organic positive sentiment published online.
If you could be put in touch with one person in the LA Tech tech community who would it be and why?
The LA tech community is amazingly open and accessible. As a result, I’ve never had a problem reaching anyone I wanted to connect with.
What does being “Made in Santa Monica” mean to you and your company?
“Made in Santa Monica, CA” is printed on all of our products, which signifies a statement about quality and innovation that we’re very proud of.
“Made in Santa Monica, CA” is printed on all of our products, which signifies a statement about quality and innovation that we’re very proud of.
What is your favorite restaurant in LA?
Giorgio Baldi is the best in LA and one of the best in the world.
