UAE born tech start-up shows how to optimise health to feel and perform better

Valeo, a science-based digital wellbeing platform, is quickly dominating the UAE market and capitalizing on the tidal shift in consumer attitudes towards personal health and wellbeing that COVID-19 brought about.

Valeo has seen monthly subscriptions increase since its start in June 2021, and it now intends to expand across the GCC, becoming the first Arabic platform of its sort. Valeo’s personalized wellness journeys are being targeted at both individuals and corporates as companies increasingly prioritize employee wellbeing.

Valeo Co-founder and CEO Sundeep Sahni, explains: “Over the last decade, we have seen a surge in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity in the GCC. COVID-19 has also shifted peoples’ priorities towards their health and wellness, and we see holistic care – as in food, exercise, sleep, and mental wellbeing – playing an even bigger part in future healthcare. With our testing and personalized health coach model, and Arabic language capability coming very soon, Valeo is well placed to lead the digital wellness revolution in the Middle East.”

“The bigger issue is health systems globally are focused on diagnosing and treating the sick rather than preventing illness in the first place. Even though we are living longer, we are living longer in poor health. This is due in large part to the fast-paced, career-focused lives of the modern-day person. With Valeo, we want to help people live longer healthier,” adds Valeo Co-founder and COO, Nadine Karadag.

Valeo Chief Wellness Officer, Jamie Richards-a Clinical Psycho-Neuro-Immunologist and Nutritional Therapist-explains: “The intensity of modern-day life has significantly impacted health and wellbeing. We have to stop normalizing feeling tired, fatigued, or burnt-out. If you keep running that pattern, your health will suffer. At Valeo, we want everybody to feel and perform at their best. The path to better health is a journey, and Valeo is with our clients every step of the way. We act as the intermediary between science and everyday people – using expert knowledge to interpret complex data in a friendly, digestible, and logical manner.It’s empowering and transformative.”

“It’s no secret that the last year has been challenging. COVID-19 has taken a toll on people’s mental health and stress levels, and many organizations are increasingly taking responsibility and prioritizing the health and wellbeing of their people. We want to help employees perform at their best through our corporate wellbeing packages. With actionable advice from our expert health coaches, they are able to build resiliency and motivation, improve energy and focus, and boost their confidence and self-esteem. This translates into improved productivity,”said Sahni.

Users can schedule at-home blood tests, get practical advise on their results, and connect with qualified health coaches using the personalised health tracking and guided wellbeing app. Valeo has made it simple for anyone to enhance their health via their mobile devices, which was previously an expensive option reserved primarily for athletes.

According to a market research analysis by Facts and Factors, the global digital health industry is predicted to be valued US$105.4 billion by 2026, up from US$84.08 billion in 2019. According to analysts, this quick expansion is attributed to the rise of more health-conscious consumers following the breakout of COVID-19 and the popularity of wearable technologies. According to a Cisco analysis, the Middle East and Africa is predicted to have 46 million linked wearable devices by 2022.

Valeo is betting big on prevention, testing, and personalization as the future of health, with a purpose to help reduce the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases in the Middle East.

Adults in the UAE are not doing enough to take control of their health, according to the healthcare network Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), with over 70% of UAE men and women under 30 years suffering from obesity and 46% diabetic or prediabetic. According to data, 48% of the population in the UAE is overweight, 17% has type 2 diabetes (one of the highest rates in the world), 40% of people are unaware they have type 2 diabetes, and 30% are hypertensive. The UAE has one of the highest levels of stress in the world, at 88 percent.

The tech start-up also has aspirations for quick expansion. Valeo will debut in Saudi Arabia in January 2022 and will be available throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council by the summer. Valeo will also launch its own supplement line in the first quarter of next year.