HealthTech startup LiveSmart closes £700,000 Seed

HealthTech firm LiveSmart has raised £700,000 in a Seed round led by the former head of Virgin Active Health Clubs.

The London-based startup offers employee health services, combining standard health screening with “personalised health coaching”.

It uses data from health tests and fitness trackers to recommend behavioural changes, and aims to be more holistic than existing employee services like Nuffield and Bupa.

Investors included Matt Merrick, former managing director of Virgin Active Health Clubs, and Lawrence Mitchell, former global marketing director at Reed Business Information.

The investment will be used to expand LiveSmart’s business-to-business sales strategy ahead of a larger Series A round later this year, the firm said.

“Clients are buying our products because we have a market leading proposition that engages users and delivers lasting health outcomes,” said LiveSmart founder Alex Heaton.

The firm “empowers employees” to monitor their health regularly, it says, explaining to them the level of risk associated with various activities, as well as the impact of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle on their health.

“The vast majority of the world’s population make poor lifestyle choices which affect their long-term health. We believe that the solution is to provide a better behaviour change platform. This starts with an affordable and repeatable measurement platform – a scale for your health,” Heaton told TechCrunch.

LiveSmart’s announcement follows last week’s news that ‘FemTech’ firm Elvie – which develops smart health devices for women – raised $6m (£4.82m) in a Series A round led by London-based venture capital firm Octopus Ventures.