Familiar faces: Checking in with Nouri

In the Familiar Faces series, our Target Accelerators Program Managers check in with companies who have participated in one of our Target Accelerators programs. This is a chance to dig in and learn more about each company’s growth since completing their Target Accelerators experience and our way of continuing to root them on every step of the entrepreneurial way. Welcome to Familiar Faces.

Checking in with Nouri, Target Takeoff Wellness Alumna

Nouri is a probiotic founded upon the principle that increasing life begins in the very inside of your body, starting with your gut and radiating outward. They are a team of researchers, creatives and leaders committed to delivering gut health solutions to support the whole body.

Interview by Anne Kitchen, Target Takeoff Program Manager

Anne: Hi Caroline, great to connect again. How has Nouri grown in the past year since you participated in the Takeoff Wellness program?

Caroline: Over the past year Nouri has launched our first three products: Digestive Health, Women’s Health, and Weight Health into Whole Foods Market nationally. Although 2020 has provided challenges for us all, the Nouri team used our time this year to take a deep dive into innovation focused on the immune and gut connection. This Fall, we launched our newest product line called Inner Immune. We are proud of the milestones we have reached with much credit due to the incredibly talented team at Target who helped us with feedback along the way!

Anne: Congratulations on your launch at Whole Foods! What have you learned about yourself and your brand since that launch?

Caroline: We have learned first that the category of gut health is exploding. During the pandemic we have seen a quite substantial increase in vitamin and supplement sales across all categories. New consumers are also entering through all channels (in-store, Amazon, Direct-to-Consumer) and many consumers are entering for the first time. Thus, education is more paramount than ever. Nouri will remain consistent with our research and development efforts while greatly scaling our education efforts. Today’s culture provides us an incredibly captive audience, ready to take steps forward in health and wellness for themselves and for their families.

Anne: Let’s talk a little bit about the just-launched product you mentioned, Inner Immune. Tell me more about that product.

Caroline: 70% of your immune system is located in your gut. This was the initial reason that I became passionate about creating solutions for gut health. I had personally battled with immune deficiencies that left me tired, unable to focus, and sick about once a month. During that time Nouri was born with the vision that we could create proactive, versus reactive, solutions to gut and immune health. Therefore, the creation and launch of Inner Immune is a brilliant “full circle” moment for us.

While many other products are meant to be taken episodically, for example when you are already sick, Inner Immune is to be taken daily to help support your immune system (which could lead to not getting sick, or getting milder cases). It also includes the additional benefit of the other digestive health ingredients that are not found in another immune product. We combined 14 powerful ingredients together (including key vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, D, and Zinc as well as more novel ingredients such as Immunobiotics) all in a delicious, affordable, sugar and calorie free liquid dissolving powder.

Anne: In a time when immunity and wellness is on the forefront of everyone’s mind, the solutions that Nouri provides are so important. What have you heard from your customers who are trying to stay happy and healthy?

Caroline: We are seeing a retention rate with Nouri’s products that is three times the category average, which is so encouraging to us as business leaders but more so as pioneers in the proactive health space. Customers are curious, and they were asking for more price accessible, functional ways to support their gut and immune system. We used data to understand two key insights: 26% of millennials were taking probiotics in a food or beverage form (versus 20% taking in a supplement form) and that 82% of probiotic consumers also were taking other vitamins. These insights are what shaped the research, development, and launch of Inner Immune. Thus far, we are hearing incredible feedback about the taste of the products and energy impact consumers are feeling.

Anne: What’s next for Nouri?

Caroline: This year was technically Nouri’s first year as a start-up on the market. As with all startups during the first year, we learned a lot. Coupling the normal start-up learnings with the experience of a global pandemic and you will see things in your business normally not revealed until decades in. Two key areas of focus were revealed to us: education and access. We have always been a company focused on science, credibility, and research. This year we quickly saw that there is an immense health equity gap in our communities, nation, and world. Therefore, when a virus presents itself particular communities are more impacted than others. Gut health (with 70% of your immune system located in your gut) is a foundational aspect of human health that we can improve upon. As a young founder and leader, I recognize that my generation has to do better ensuring we educate and provide access to proactive health. As Nouri scales forward we have developed products particularly to bridge these gaps and will be increasing our focus on the education and access to gut and immune health for all.

For more information on Nouri, check out dailynouri.com.