FoodMarble - transforming gut health through tech

by Startacus Admin
The lowdown on FoodMarble, the Dublin-based startup that's creating digital solutions to help people improve their digestive health
Irritable bowel syndrome affects 1 in every 10 people across the world. It is a condition that can only be managed through a controlled diet, but what many don’t realise is that it can take quite some time to pin down just what foods inflame the issue for different people, and the process can be surprisingly expensive to the healthcare system.
In Europe, it costs roughly €1,000-2,000 per individual every year. So, in this age of empowering people with at-home solutions to issues that have previously required specialist attention, what do we have to offer people?
Dublin-based startup FoodMarble has created a solution to help people discover their own personal dietary dos and don’ts. The FoodMarble AIRE is a small device that you blow into to measure the amount of hydrogen in your breath - something that should not be there, and as such is a key indicator of digestive issues caused by the food that you have eaten. Hydrogen production means that your body is having trouble digesting the food properly, and can cause pain and bloating. While not a technology that can be used on its own to 100% diagnose issues, breath testing has been used for a while for this purpose, but it has never before been miniaturised to be convenient and portable for individuals.
The device is paired with an app, where you can log the food you are eating, and the AIRE device transmits data via Bluetooth to be applied to that food to precisely track what foods cause you issues. The more food is logged, the better you will be able to narrow down the specific ingredients that are the problem. As well as this, the app provides plenty of information about the most common foods that cause digestion issues in its database of just under 1,000 foods.
To date, FoodMarble has raised €5.5 million in funding, and is currently undergoing clinical trials at John Hopkins so that it can enter the clinical market as well. The startup’s second generation device, AIRE 2, is now available for pre-sale, and detects methane in the breath as well as hydrogen. While not a cure for digestive issues, such an easy, portable device is certainly a game-changer for people who live with issues like IBS.
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Published on: 11th November 2021
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