UK: Nutrition platform Vitl secures £6.2m investment

  • 8 February 2022
  • Funding
Jonathan Relph,
Vitl founder Jonathan Relph

Personalised nutrition platform Vitl has secured new investment of £6.2 million led by Ornament Health, a Swiss-based healthtech investor, with participation by Richard Pennycock, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and former chairman of The Hut Group, who joins existing investors including Samos Investments, Nogra Pharma and C4 Ventures.

Farnham, Surrey-based Vitl was launched in 2015 as a direct-to-consumer brand, before expanding into retail. The company said it has been backed by a number of investors that have helped its UK and international growth.

The start-up provides a range of products, including at-home nutrition tests, including blood and DNA tests, followed up by tailor-made supplements, The brand has also established a retail footprint in the UK, securing listings in more than 2,000 stores in the past year, including Sainsbury’s, Boots, and most recently, Holland & Barrett.

Vitl stated that the investment will be used to expand the brand’s direct-to-consumer and retail offerings, and to enter new markets globally, as well as increasing headcount which is already under way.

Vitl’s founder Jonathan Relph said: “We’re delighted with the closing of an oversubscribed investment round and the further commitment of existing and new investors. It allows us to continue to expand our product range and distribution at a time when nutrition and wellness has become more relevant than ever. The pandemic reminded us all how important our health is and with our personalised products, on-the-shelf range, and at-home tests, we hope to help even more people optimise and personalise their nutrition.”

Ornament Health has invested in several healthtech start-ups globally and has developed a health monitoring app with more than 100,000 monthly active users.

Snezhana Gurina, executive director of Ornament Health said: “Ornament is based on the ideologies of preventative medicine and individualised approach for each user. These principles are similar to those which Vitl are based on. For that reason, we are delighted to help contribute to the brand’s growth and development”