CEO Corner: Markus Falk on the Rise of Lifesum
Under Falk’s watch, Lifesum has grown its user base to over 65 million, helping scores of people across the globe make better food choices through the power of digital tech
Despite the best efforts of many, few people are truly able to put their professional talents to work in a way that changes the lives of others.
Markus Falk, the CEO of Lifesum, has done just that, running a platform that’s helped millions of people worldwide change their relationship with food.
Under Falk’s watch, Lifesum has grown its user base to over 65 million. It’s also worked with brands like Amazon, Nike and GE on the corporate wellness side and has struck partnerships with tech companies like Oura to push the boundaries of nutrition and sleep.
Earlier this summer, Lifesum acquired German biomarker testing company Lykon, signaling its entry into the world of highly personalized nutrition.
Falk sat down with Athletech News to discuss his beginnings at Lifesum, the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and why the Lykon acquisition is the beginning of a new era for the popular platform.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Athletech News: Can you tell us a bit about your background and why you decided to join Lifesum as CEO?
Markus Falk: I studied industrial engineering, specializing in energy systems at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, and had a plan to get into renewable energy. That was driven by a desire to change a broken system but, at the time, I found it hard to find a context for my efforts.
I spent time working in various tech startups; first at eBay-owned Tradera and then at Spotify, where I ended up writing a thesis on digital purchasing behaviors and how to convert free users into paying subscribers.
I was then introduced to the founders of Lifesum. I remember sitting down in a cafe with co-founder Marcus Gners discussing how broken the healthcare system was, and a strategy to fix it. I was hooked.
ATN: What were your biggest early priorities as CEO, and how has Lifesum’s platform evolved since you came on board?
MF: We had two main priorities: achieve profitable growth and set a clear strategy to increase the value we deliver to our users by transforming Lifesum from a single service to a platform for advanced wellness.
We’ve made good progress. We’re now a profitable company and recently made our first big move to transform the platform by acquiring biomarker company Lykon. By combining blood tests with world-class software design, we’ll achieve a level of personalization that’s just insane.
ATN: Can you share any info on Lifesum’s user demographics, including gender, age and nationality?
MF: We have a huge number of users with a variety of backgrounds, demographics and health journeys ahead of them. They all turn to Lifesum with a shared goal: transforming their lives through better food choices. However, most of our users are Gen Z and Millennial women, with a large presence in the U.S. and across Europe.
We’re also working with a growing number of companies and organizations who trust Lifesum to help their employees reap the benefits of healthier eating, including Amazon, Nike and General Electric.
ATN: In 2024, what types of nutrition guidance are Lifesum users most interested in?
MF: Food and nutrition are deeply personal, shaped by our preferences, our body’s responses, our culture and our individual journeys. At Lifesum, this principle has always been central, guiding us to create personalized experiences for millions of people simultaneously. Weight management is important to a lot of our users but there’s always a bigger story. It’s not about the number on the scale, it’s about achieving a better life.
In 2024, we’ll ship our first experiences connecting blood tests to our programs, following the Lykon acquisition. We also see a rising demand for food connected to vitality and longevity, an area we’ll continue to explore.
ATN: How do you view the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs? Are GLP-1s positive or negative for Lifesum?
MF: The rise of GLP-1s is the biggest and most impactful development for the wellness and food industry in recent years. It’s huge and will change a lot of things.
As for Lifesum’s role in this – what you eat is key for your wellbeing, whether you’re starting GLP-1s, on them, changing doses or getting off them. Lifesum has a clear position as a companion service to these drugs, and this is the path we are on.
ATN: Lifesum already has over 65 million registered users. How big can the platform become?
MF: We’ve done a lot of things and helped a lot of people but, to me, this is day one. The opportunities that lie ahead in a market exploding with the evolution of technology, science and healthcare are limitless. We will continue to develop the platform, incorporating new service layers to create more value for consumers and companies.
With the recent acquisition of Lykon and our new capabilities, I’m confident we’ll get to multiple times our size quickly.
ATN: Could Lifesum ever look to expand beyond nutrition and into other areas such as exercise, mental health or general wellness?
MF: For us, nutrition is at the core – this is what Lifesum is all about. What you put in your body has a profound impact on your exercise, sleep and mental health. We connect to these areas from the lens of nutrition, using our partnerships with the likes of Oura and Nike to create great experiences for users.
As we develop Lifesum’s advanced wellness platform, we’ll continue to partner with the best in the industry and add new layers to the experience through acquisitions and partnerships.