Biometrics startup Levels raises $12m seed round to mainstream Biowearables, improve metabolic health

In the same way fitness trackers are commonly worn to quantify physical activity and exercise, Levels measures the impact of one's diet and lifestyle on metabolic health by pairing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology with intelligent software.

Josh Clemente, Founder and President, Levels: "You shouldn't need a PhD in nutrition or human physiology to know what to eat for lunch. Levels is the first product that takes the guesswork out of daily lifestyle choices with personalized, objective data. By leveraging continuous glucose monitoring, Levels helps users close the loop between overall health and daily choices around food, exercise, sleep, and stress management to support long-term metabolic health."

Only 12% of the U.S. population is considered metabolically healthy. Today, over 120 million Americans have prediabetes or diabetes, and 84% of people with prediabetes don't even know they have it. Levels published their Secret Master Plan to explain how they'll reverse this trend by promoting behavior change based on personal data.

Jeff Jordan, Managing Partner, a16z: "We invested in Levels because metabolic dysfunction is an incredibly important problem, and their rate of execution on solving this problem is on par with the best companies we've seen," said. Consumers are increasingly health conscious, and increasingly leverage real tech tools and data to improve their health. Levels provides a veritable 'divining rod' for improved metabolic health."

The month-long Levels program includes two 14-day CGM sensors and access to the Levels app, which provides real-time analysis on how food, exercise, and other lifestyle decisions are impacting your health. Currently in a closed beta, Levels has a 50,000+ person waitlist and will be available for consumer purchase in early 2021.

Casey Means, Co-founder, Levels: "Optimizing metabolic function can improve energy, endurance, memory, mood, and cognitive performance. Seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the US are strongly related to metabolic dysfunction. Levels helps you improve metabolic fitness by alerting you to foods that negatively impact glucose levels. Armed with this information, you can take control of your metabolic health and make healthier lifestyle decisions."

Vijay Pande, General Partner, a16z: "The two most fundamental levers for our health, diet and exercise, remain shrouded in generalities and unrealistic advice. By harnessing CGMs, wearables, data science, and the latest advances in biology and medicine, Levels provides critical information to help consumers take control of diet and exercise, while making real, fundamental improvements in their health. Preventing metabolic dysfunction is one of the 21st century's greatest health challenges, and Levels addresses the epidemic head on."

Marc Randolph, Co-founder and first CEO, Netflix: "Too many smart people focus on small problems. Levels has picked something big and important to solve - and I love it. They're improving metabolic health and, by extension, the lives of millions of people. It's an ambitious goal, but they're the team to do it. The progress they've made in a short amount of time blows me away. I'm thrilled to join as an investor and mentor."

www.levelshealth.com