Two months ago, the start-up known as Vitamin Packs rebranded to become Persona. And in May of this year, the company received a “significant growth investment from L Catterton,” according to a press release circulated by Vitamin Packs at the time.
Terms of the investment were not made public, but Chris Roberts, principal with the L Catterton Growth Fund explains the thinking behind the deal: “Vitamin Packs” says Roberts, “represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a differentiated company within the growing personalized health category.”
“As more consumers prioritize health and wellness, Vitamin Packs is uniquely positioned to enable consumers to navigate this complex industry through its multi-faceted algorithm and ongoing individualized support. We look forward to leveraging our experience to help Vitamin Packs' talented management team accelerate growth and increase consumer awareness and engagement.”
Custom supplements
Persona consumers start by completing an online assessment. From there, the brand’s algorithm recommends a “nutrition program,” and interested consumers can then get daily personalized vitamin packs delivered.
According to Persona, over 400,000 people have completed the assessment, which allows the algorithm to generate more than “5 trillion possible combinations of nutrition recommendations.” The company’s platform also takes in to account potential interactions between the supplements and some 650 prescription medications; and the platform is newly integrated with genetic data supplied by the consumer genomics company 23andMe.
Product developments
Consumer expectations were apparently responsible for the brand’s launch of Persona Hair, Skin and Nails Blend (as well as a new supplement formulated to support sleep patterns).
Explaining the brand’s approach to product development, Jason Brown, founder and CEO of Persona, says in a press release, “The combination of our in-house team of nutritionists and technologists gives us the ability to quickly innovate new products and evolve our propriety algorithm, so we're asking the right questions by listening to what consumers want and need most.”
He goes on to explain that, “we are able to deliver new products that respond to our customers' needs based on thousands of inputs from more than 450,000 completed nutritional assessments. Our new mobile app gives customers even more options for personalization at their fingertips – we're excited to create a truly one-of-a-kind experience for our customers that has their best interest at heart.”
Beauty pills
The new Persona Hair, Skin and Nails Blend includes horsetail plant extract, collagen, and CoQ10. Persona’s product page about the new supplement doesn’t make any outright benefits claims; but there is plenty of been-shown-to language:
“Our proprietary nutrient blend contains horsetail plant extract, a perennial herb which has been shown combat brittle nails. We combine this plant extract with collagen which is shown to decrease wrinkles and skin dryness as well as support connective tissue in skin while improving the structure of hair and nails. Research has connected CoQ10 with supporting cellular energy and blood flow.”
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
