Gut check at Nordstrom: Retail giant to sell microbiome test from Seattle-area startup Viome

Viome Health Intelligence Test. (Viome photo)

Nordstrom has partnered with Seattle-based startup Viome Life Sciences to sell kits that analyze the microbiome, the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut and other areas of the body.

To test the limits of Nordstrom’s generous return policy, the Viome ‘Health Intelligence’ kit requires a stool sample to be taken. The kit will sell in the Beauty category for $ 199 on the Seattle-based retailer’s website at Nordstrom.com and will appear in select stores in 2022.

“Both Viome and Nordstrom believe that true health and beauty start from within,” Viome CEO and founder Naveen Jain said in a statement. The health intelligence test is also available on the Viome website.

Naveen Jain. (Viome photo)

Viome analyzes the microbiome by sequencing RNA, nucleic acids found in living organisms. The approach detects bacteria and other components of the intestine such as yeast and viruses.

The company claims that its AI-driven algorithms are capable of providing personalized recommendations for diets and supplements. Viome customers can also sign up for a postal service valued at $ 149 per month for “precisely” tailored supplements and probiotics.

Viome conducted a study that found its services resulted in significant improvement in self-reported cases of anxiety, bowel disease, and major depression. The data is published in the preprint service bioRxiv and has yet to be assessed. But external researchers are skeptical.

The methodology is “questionable,” David Suskind previously told GeekWire. Suskind is a gastroenterologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington. He is also a co-founder of Nimbal Health, which provides diet and lifestyle advice and blood and stool tests to people with bowel disease.

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Viome has raised $ 80 million from investors to date, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and expects revenue of $ 100 million next year. It is also developing a saliva test for head and neck cancer and recently hired Emmanuel Hanon, former head of GSK’s vaccine group, to help run its separate diagnostics and therapeutics division.

Jain is the founder and former CEO of InfoSpace and co-founder of the public record company Intelius and Moon Express, which aims to bring paying customers to the moon. Founded in 2016, Viome is Jain’s first life science company.

He told GeekWire that he learned to have a consumer mentality and good product design.

Nordstrom’s net sales are up more than 100% year over year, the company reported in its earnings report for the second quarter of 2021, although it was down slightly from 2019.