The company 3X4 Genetics uses a patented approach to help health-care practitioners offer their patients deeply- personalised insights based on their genetics. The blueprint uses leading-edge design and behavior-change techniques to elevate the conversation between the practitioner and their patient so that they can co-create a treatment plan for the patient.
The 3X4 Genetic blueprint presents results graphically to make the content easier to understand for patients. This, combined with the 3X4 behavior change model, ensures that recommendations are relatable, not overwhelming and easy to implement into meaningful, life-long healthier habits.
3X4 wants to help 10 million individuals worldwide achieve human health potential by giving them access to their unique genetic information and empowering them to make more personalised, more effective and more sustainable health choices for a healthier, happier and longer life.
Their key innovation is a systems biology-based genetic health test, that uses images and infographics to explain complex health and genetic information in a way that patients can easily understand.
People are becoming increasingly aware of their own health and the benefits of living longer and healthier lives. Nutrition lies at the heart of this; we are what we eat.
According to the company: ‘‘Our food systems play a pivotal role in our lives, our economy and our climate. Nutrigenomics is the integration between genetics (what makes each of us unique) and the role nutrition plays in changing how our genes express themselves. 3X4 offers its practitioners and customers a unique blueprint that allows them to understand their bodies and provides recommendations to help them lead healthier lives.”
3X4 and its practitioners are helping people eat mindfully and make healthier choices.
“If consumers can understand why it’s important to eat mindfully and more healthily, their likelihood of making sustainable changes to their diet and lifestyles significantly increases.
Consumers drive demand and have a significant effect on our food systems and our economy, if we can shift behavior and get more people to take a mindful, considered approach to their diets and lifestyle, this will have a positive effect on upstream systems,” it said.
What makes 3X4 stand out is the unique skills of its two founders. The company has paired expert scientist, Dr Yael Joffe (who has many years experience in the field of translational genomics) with technologist, user experience and behavioral specialist Jason Haddock (who has worked across a number of industries ranging from retail and financial services to the gaming industry).
“The unique combination of these two founders has resulted in a highly innovative and disruptive product. This is evidenced in the patented pathway based genetic report that 3X4 offers to its customers.”
In November 2019, 3X4 was named among the “Top 5 Most Exciting Startups in South Africa” by business organisation Heavy Chef. 3X4 has boldly positioned itself to be a key player in the genomics industry and has garnered the attention of a number of influential thought leaders in the US.
With an international scientific advisory board comprised of some of the biggest and most influential names in the healthcare industry (like Dr Jeffrey Bland, Dr Helen Messier, Prof Jose Ordovas, to name a few), 3X4 is on course to making a big impact.
In July 2019, 3X4 secured $2.5m in funding from a US investor, Alethea Capital. 3X4 will use the funding to continue to enhance its product offering, grow its channels in South Africa and expand operations in the US. In February, 3X4 opened its first office in Seattle.
