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 Lab 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.)
