Investment can be a healthy force for good

Wild Atlantic Health is a preventative health technology company based in Riverstick near Kinsale. The business kicked off in 2019 with a mission to bring more wellbeing into the world and empower people to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

“We are the only health platform in Ireland that can identify health problems and nutritional gaps and solve this with our doctor-formulated supplements and lifestyle recommendation. Customers can track their improvements via our app,” said company chief executive and founder, Jonathan Amm.

As part of this year’s EIIS funding round, they are looking for impact investors interested in health and sustainability, explained Amm.

The company has raised €620,000 to date from experienced angel investors in Ireland and the US is seeking to raise an additional €500,000 via EIIS this year. Funds will be used to develop ground-breaking new health products and rapidly scale the business in the local market.

“As a direct-to-consumer brand, we wanted to create a transparent EIIS offer which carries none of the hefty entrance and exit fees that eat into people's returns,” said Amm. "We want to democratise health and also make our EIIS offering more accessible to Irish investors. We’ve had people come in from €5,000 all the way up to €200,000."

With inflation eroding the value of savings and bank’s charging negative interest rates, EIIS is a smart way to benefit while supporting indigenous Irish companies. What makes the Wild Atlantic EIIS offer compelling is the fact that the company has a projected ROI of 113% over four years. EIIS investors get the big benefit of the full 40% tax relief back on their investment in 2023.

“Our investors also become friends and a part of our health community,” added Amm. “Besides regular updates on the business, they get perks like special discounts, and personalised nutrition consults.”

Jonathan is out of an entrepreneurial corporate background having worked with Irish born billionaire Bill Lynch in South Africa and in a number of start-ups. The management team includes Tanja Buwalda as Ops Director and Justin Plunkett leading Design & E-commerce.

Rooted in wellness and backed by science, the team researched and developed five next-generation health products during Covid. Today they have three fulltime staff and are expecting to double this by the end of next year.

“Unfortunately people don't expect to be healthy anymore,” said Amm. “Medication and poor health are accepted as part of the ageing process. But without good health it's impossible to enjoy life fully.”

"97% of our health spend is focused on disease and not prevention and wellness. Sadly our healthcare system is not set up to help people prevent disease before it occurs, or to reverse it after it is already present.”

Covid created a tipping point towards preventative health as people looked for a greater degree of control in their lives, elaborates Amm. According to research by the Irish Health Store Association six out of ten people now take food supplements to maintain health and wellbeing and to support immunity. Daily consumption has also grown through Covid.

In a time where people don't know what supplements they need or what's really working, Wild Atlantic Health offers a solution. “We use hassle free home test kits and from a tiny drop of blood measure a range of biomarkers – like Vitamin D and the Omega-3 index – to help detect deficiencies and health issues in advance.”

“To provide a solution we launched with Omega-3 and Vitamin D3+K2+A health supplements, scientifically formulated in collaboration with functional medicine doctor Neville Wilson and nutritional therapist Barbara Barrett. All supplements are 100% natural, highest purity and potency and include none of the nasties like artificial binders and fillers with names you can't pronounce.”

Since the company launched, a number of customers have re-tested and are seeing a doubling of their Vitamin D levels and significant increases in Omega-3 levels, said Amm. “Our testing edge helps us gather data on deficiencies and track improvements. It also helps build better supplements and personalised solutions that really work for our customers.”

Amm said that they wanted to create Irish products that can compete with the best in the world. Everything is 100% sustainably sourced, with beautifully designed biodegradable bottles and packaging.

Wild Atlantic Health focuses on three key channels: health store partners, direct-to-consumer online and practitioners, including doctors and nutritional therapists.

The brand is already in 45 stores and growing fast online with sales into Ireland and Britain. The strategy is to grow online and into 150 stores within the next year and then look to expand into Britain, UAE and South African markets.

Currently the company is involved in R&D to develop new testing solutions as well as evidence based supplements using novel natural ingredients and micro-encapsulation technology to boost bioavailability in the body.

“Our preventative health model is a perfect fit for employee wellness and this is something Wild Atlantic Health is seeking to pilot in the new year,” said Amm.

“The average adult spends one-third of their life working and it's no surprise that lifestyle diseases such as obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes significantly impact productivity and performance in the workplace.”

"Genetics loads the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger," said Amm. “This is why nutrition and positive lifestyle recommendations are vital for staying healthy and living longer.”

For more details visit www.wildatlantichealth.com Use promo code #EIIS2022 for 22% off everything.