Entrepreneur Naveen Jain’s Newest Moonshot? Cure The World Of Chronic Disease

Jain is the founder and CEO of Viome, a kit-based company that analyzes gut bacteria in the hopes of changing the way people think about health.
October 24, 2017
Naveen Jain founder and CEO of Viome

Naveen Jain founder and CEO of Viome

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  • Richard P. Feynman Center For Innovation
  • (505) 665-9090
"My dream isn't just to go to the moon it's to be an example of what's possible, and inspire others to dream bigger." -Naveen Jain

Until recently, serial entrepreneur Naveen Jain’s most ambitious project was Moon Express, a literal moonshot that aims to land a rocket on our cratered neighbor and use its resources to make other planets livable for humans. His newest mission feels just as profound: create a world without chronic disease.

To accomplish it, he founded Viome, a bacteria-analysis company that examines the microorganisms in users’ guts and counsels them on how to keep harmful bacteria at bay. In September, the Bellevue, Washington–based company began selling its kits in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, India, and the Middle East.

Harnessing technology developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Viome employs artificial intelligence to analyze the digestive tract and its effects on the body’s immune and metabolic systems. (Recent studies point to gut inflammation as a possible origin for neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s.)

For $59 a month or $599 a year, users submit stool samples every six months and receive reports on their microbiome composition, including nutrition recommendations tailored to their bacteria.

“There’s no such thing as a universal healthy diet,” Jain says. Next, Viome may seek FDA approval, which would allow the company to begin diagnosing conditions such as obesity and heart disease.

“I don’t want to see anyone ever die from Alzheimer’s or cancer if we can prevent them [via diet changes],” Jain says. “My hope is that [Viome] has to eventually shut down because everyone is staying healthy.”

BEST RECENT TECH DEVELOPMENT
“CRISPR [gene-editing technology]. Once we are able to change whatever is going on inside our bodies, we can create humanity that is completely radiation resistant, so we can live on Mars.”

WORST RECENT TECH DEVELOPMENT
“Everyone now becomes an entrepreneur by making some iPhone app, and they don’t move humanity forward other than making somebody a quick buck. People waste their lives playing these app games.”

ADVICE YOU’D GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF
“Know that your life is going to have ups and downs. I look at my life like my heartbeat; if there are no ups and downs then I’m already dead.”

HOW HE STAYS PRODUCTIVE
“I go wherever the biggest needs are. One day I’m laser-focused on Moon Express. Then I’ll focus on Viome for three months.”

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