Digitizing Human Biology: Startup Interview with Naveen Jain, Viome Founder and CEO

HackerNoon Reporter: Please tell us briefly about your background.

I have always been an intensely curious human being, which has led me to be an intensely curious entrepreneur and philanthropist focused on ideas that will push humanity forward and solve problems worth solving. I am the founder of seven companies in industries ranging from health care to aerospace, the most recent being Viome.

Throughout my career, I have been honored to receive recognition for my endeavors, including: EY’s “Entrepreneur of the Year”, Fast Company’s “Most Creative Person” and Red Herring’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” for leadership.

What's your startup called? And in a sentence or two, what does it do?

Viome Life Sciences is tackling the epidemic of chronic diseases, including cancer and aging, and making advancements in science, research, and technology more accessible to people faster than ever before. By conducting mRNA (gene expression) analysis at mass scale, Viome is digitizing human biology and using AI to understand the onset and progression of chronic diseases for diagnostics and future therapeutics, while benefiting people today. Our technology allows us to identify precision food recommendations and supplement nutrients (in precise dosages) for our users to help address low-grade inflammation in the body, ultimately helping in the prevention of chronic diseases.

What is the origin story?

The gut microbiome plays a massive role in chronic diseases and the overall health of our bodies, but everyone’s microbiome is different. So I sought out the best technology, which I discovered scientists at Los Alamos National Lab had been developing over the span of 10 years, sequencing microbial gene expression (not just genes) in order to see everything that is happening inside of your microbiome.

From there I brought on an incredible team of leaders in Research, Nutrition, Translational Science, and Artificial Intelligence to help make sense of this data and allow customers to benefit from these powerful insights on a daily basis. Our at-home gut health test scores your microbiome's health according to over 400 different pathways that we can see. By analyzing your gut environment and its impact on human gene expression (the “host” side of you), we can see what nutrients will help people get healthy and address many issues related to dysbiosis in the gut and inflammation throughout the body.

What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem?

What I love about my team is that we share in our passion and drive to revolutionize the industry and help people feel empowered. Most people do not realize how good they were designed to feel and that your body is meant to work for you to keep you healthy. At Viome, we are using unique machine learning techniques to accurately discover new solutions to the root causes of chronic diseases, cancers, and aging and make that accessible to people fast!

The internet is saturated with “personalized” diet advice that appeals to people who are genuinely looking for a solution and are desperate to feel normal again, happy in their bodies. We believe in TESTING, not GUESSING, and in the power of technology to translate the language of the body into actionable insights and recommendations that are right for your unique biological needs.

At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your core metrics?

Currently, through Viome’s proprietary mRNA technology and AI platform, the company has proudly helped 250,000 people. Our results have shown improvements in clinical outcomes by 36% in severe cases of depression, 40% in severe cases of anxiety, 38% in severe cases of IBS, and more than 30% in the type 2 Diabetes risk score.

What’s most exciting about your traction to date?

Through Viome’s industry-leading research and therapeutics, we have been able to form strategic partnerships with like-minded, global healthcare companies like GSK, a science-led global healthcare company.

We recently announced the extension of our collaboration, leveraging Viome’s proprietary microbiome analysis and artificial intelligence platforms and GSK’s expertise in immunology. We will expand clinical research activities to investigate the potential development of new therapeutic interventions within the fields of chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases and cancers.

What technologies are you currently most excited about, and most worried about? And why?

We are excited to be at the forefront of innovation and increase the standard of care through our use of unique machine learning techniques. In May of 2021, Viome Life Sciences received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its proprietary mRNA technology and AI platform designed to detect cancer.

This first-of-its-kind screening tool advanced the method for detection through providing early detection of oral cancer and throat cancer, which has been traditionally diagnosed manually by a primary care clinician in a subjective way.

What drew you to get published on HackerNoon? What do you like most about our platform?

We were drawn to HackerNoon for expert insights, the cutting edge stories about the technology industry as well as it’s inclusive community that spans the globe and supports everyone from diehards, entrepreneurs, women, and more.

What advice would you give to the 21-year-old version of yourself?

Never stop thinking big, even if people think you are crazy. Your life will be full of ups and downs, but then again, so is a heartbeat that lets you know you’re alive.

What is something surprising you've learned this year that your contemporaries would benefit from knowing?

If you focus on money as a sign you are successful, you will never get there. If you want a billion dollars, solve a billion-dollar problem by approaching it in a way no one has thought to before. Do good and you will do well.