Are we able to reimagine a world where clean air, water and food are available to all? Where economies are focused on health and well-being? Where cities are liveable and people have control over their health and the health of the planet?
World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis which is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The climate crisis is also a health crisis.
On World Health Day 2022, WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being. This year, the spotlight will be on the interconnectedness between the planet and our health.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the gaps in the healthcare segment. This led to the opportunities for many entrepreneurs to create solutions to bridging the gaps, some of them have launched healthcare products keeping the environment and humans at the centre, while others have accelerated acceptance of digital healthcare.
On the occasion of World Health Day, Marketing in Asia shares the opinions of entrepreneurs and startups that are sensitive to this issue and are bringing solutions that are changing the planet and the lives of people.
Sleepsia
Sleepsia recognizes that sleep is crucial for the well-being of an individual. They are on a mission to contribute to their customers’ physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Sleepsia offers premium quality pillows for different purposes that alleviate sleeping problems. While the USA sleep sector is a USD 30+ billion market, the Indian sleep ecosystem is untapped and offers immense scope for growth. Sleepsia’s vision is to spread awareness about the importance of good quality sleep and make India one of the largest consumers of memory foam pillows.
This global manufacturer-to-consumer brand offers a variety of premium-grade pillows and sleep accessories. Recently, Sleepsia has raised USD 2 million impact funding from its parent company Agile Ventures, a high-octane venture capitalist. With this recently secured funding, the brand plans to expand its customer base in tier-II and tier-III cities, reaching at least 2,50,000 additional consumers.
HairVeda
COVID has seen a remarkable shift in customer purchase patterns, and there are a bigger number of people opting for ayurvedic products in their daily lives. As the market grows, more people will gravitate towards Ayurvedic products for the sole reason of holistic healing.
HairVeda is the only brand to sell 100% Ayurvedic products certified by the Ministry of Ayush.
“The idea is to provide effective and affordable solutions and build a tribe that believes in the benefits of ancient Ayurveda and is healthy from within” shares Ms. Arpana Saini, Co-founder & CMO.
HairVeda believes in a philosophy that the wisdom of ancient Ayurveda holds the solution to different hair problems. Since its inception, the brand has become one of the fastest-growing Ayurveda brands in India. They offer a range of 100% natural hair care products such as cleansers, conditioners, Herbal Hair Oil, etc. The major USP of the brand is that all the products are crafted from unique Vedic formulation by selecting the highest quality ingredients in raw form.
Pilgrim
Devoted to “clean beauty”, Pilgrim is strictly against Animal Testing and provides its customers with 100% vegan products. All Pilgrim products are FDA Approved and are free from toxins like Parabens, Sulfates, and Mineral Oils, which are otherwise commonly used in beauty products.
“We are witnessing an increased inclination towards personal wellbeing and care.” Shared Anurag Kedia, Founder of Pilgrim
Currently, Pilgrim has over 30,000 users every month and expects to grow this 8x in 2022. As of 2021, the brand was at an ARR of Rs 18 crores. Pilgrim has a presence in multiple locations. Their D2C website is currently selling to customers from Pan India.
Pilgrim raised INR 13 Crores in Series A funding. The round was led by Fireside Ventures, Rukam Capital, and founding teams of Boat, NoBroker, and the founder- CEO of Bewakoof.com, with Dexter capital as the transaction advisor. Within a year of launch (in May 2020), Pilgrim witnessed an ARR of INR 18 crores backed by innovation, R&D capabilities, and a disruptive supply chain.
I Am Love
I Am Love is a nutraceutical brand launched in January 2021 by Shilpa Rathi and her brother. Their vision is to help consumers get rid of their health and skin problems.
“We are a firm believer of the fact that we are what we eat” —If we take care of ourselves internally, then we won’t really have to indulge in expensive treatments for our body”. Skin and body issues need to be resolved from within, which is exactly what their products do. They were highly mindful while curating these products, and they are striving to spread awareness about nutraceuticals as well. ” Shilpa, Founder, I Am Love.
Impact of I Am Love
“We understood that to date, there have only been superficial solutions to certain health and skin concerns. We help eliminate the problem from the root cause, and that is precisely where our mindfully curated nutraceuticals come into the picture. We give personalised solutions to the concerns, and that is how we stand apart from our peers”, tells Shipa Rathi.
Strawfit – Shashank Jain, Founder, Bourgeon Foods
“It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver, said Mahatma Gandhi. On this World Health Day, it is imperative for us to acknowledge the role our planet plays in our health.
The climate crisis and pollution are some of the main factors that affect a person’s health. Unfortunately, this is not limited to one geographical location but is the same, worldwide. Unhealthy and processed foods are pushing a wave of obesity, heart diseases and cancer, whilst also generating a majority of global greenhouse emissions.
With the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, we saw increased measures to restrict movement, use of nature-friendly products, and recycling which resulted in the planet being the healthiest it has been in decades. The repeated lockdowns the world over has possibly let the Earth breathe a little due to little or no emissions from industries and other pollutants. As a society, it is our duty to learn from this, and continue to maintain these positive changes to encourage a healthy planet, and create sustainable societies of healthy and happy individuals.”
Prem Kumar, Founder & CEO, Snapbizz
“A small change in our lifestyle can have a significant impact on our health. Our planet is going through a lot of issues such as climate change, global warming, carbon footprints, deforestation etc that are causing havoc to our environment. We are rushing towards urbanisation without realising the detrimental effects it will have on our health.
Covid instilled in us the importance of breathing clean and fresh air. Apart from that, we need to plant as many trees as possible. Planting trees and adopting these sustainable living behaviours can help us live a healthier life for ourselves and our future generations.
We, at Snapbizz, urge every citizen to contribute to a healthier living environment by giving back to nature what it gives us in abundance.”
Gaurav Burman- VP & APAC President, 75F, India
“Our environment has been severely harmed by major environmental challenges. Global warming, carbon emissions, climate change, and deteriorating air quality are just a few of the factors that have made our planet weaker and unhealthier, leading to the depletion of resources.
The air quality has been continuously deteriorating due to overreliance on fossil fuels as the main energy source, causing major pulmonary difficulties among patients. More than ever, improved air quality is the need of the hour, and this is only possible if we take care of mother nature by reducing global warming and maintaining the ozone layer from depletion.
Covid made us realise the importance of breathing fresh air and thus 75F ensures that it delivers better indoor air quality through its applications such as Outdoor Air Optimization (OAO) and IoT powered Building management systems. If we wish to live a healthy life not just for us but for our coming generations, we must commit on World Health Day that we would practise sustainable living and contribute to a healthier future for our generations to come.”
Abraham George, Chief People Officer and a member of the Board at Ennoventure Inc
“On World Health Day, it’s important to look beyond the purely physical definition of health and focus on wellbeing. Simply put, wellbeing refers to a state of comfort, health and happiness – all of which are highly contextual to the individual and their situation. At Ennoventure, we’re fighting the good fight against the global counterfeit menace, which makes it all the more important that we cultivate an open, honest environment from within. As problem solvers, our team members are encouraged to speak up, ask questions, raise concerns and share ideas without reservation, which we facilitate by providing seamless processes and collaborative tools.”
