Noom: A New Approach to Weight Loss and a New Way of Living

By Samantha Denefrio, PhD

What is it?

Noom is an app that offers behavior change programs as a way to make lasting health improvements rather than promoting a certain diet or eating plan. The app offers a customized program with optional meal plans designed by registered dieticians, recipes, reading material, motivation tracker, and peer support (Health).

Foods are color-coded as green, yellow, and red to help you navigate how much and how often you should consume certain things. There are no restricted foods. You track daily food intake and exercise and Noom will provide feedback and encouragement from a personal health coach.

You can start by filling out a free 30-second evaluation on the website by clicking here.

Why is it innovative?

Noom wants you make changes that are not only good for you but enjoyable. Rather than prescribing what to eat, Noom provides you with a plan to make better choices regarding both food and physical activity. The Noom app is compatible with hundreds of medical devices and exercise trackers so that it can conveniently add that data to your Noom profile.

One important fact that distinguishes the Noom app from other weight loss programs is the scientific evidence behind its use. In 2016, one of the largest studies on a weight loss mobile application was published with data tracking over 30,000 participants (Nature). Results are encouraging and significant with 77% of participants losing weight at an average rate of 1-2 pounds per week. One of the most impressive statistics is that 60% of users maintained the weight loss after a year. The Noom app also showed an impressive compliance rate with over 80% of participants completing the program.

The Market

Noom was third on the list of searched diets in 2017 and the most expansive food database as of February 2019 according to Google (Noom). The Noom app is a free download and offers a brief trial period but then costs around $50 per month for the 16-week programs.

Mission

“Help people everywhere lead healthier lives through behavior change.”

“We work with customers across the globe to help them create healthier habits, reduce their risk of chronic health problems, reverse disease, and foster healthier relationships with themselves in the process. We believe the best way to attract people to a healthier lifestyle is to develop products that make that lifestyle more enjoyable.” (Noom)

Advantages

Noom is convenient to use on your phone.
Noom tracks health data from other devices seamlessly.
Noom offers personalized support.

Disadvantages

Noom can be expensive.
It requires time each day to enter in meals and snacks.

Funding (Crunchbase)

Total $114.7 M (6 Rounds)

May 2019 $58 M Series E (Translink Capital, Sequoia Capital, Samsung Ventures, Aglae Ventures)
March 2018 $14 M Series D (Sompo Holdings)
March 2016 $14.5 M Series C (Translink Capital, RRE Ventures, Samsung Ventures, KB Investment)
December 2014 $16.2 M Series B (Translink Capital, RRE Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, LB Investment, InterVest Co., Hanmi IT)
December 2013 $7 M Series A (Translink Capital, Scrum Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, RRE Ventures, Harbor Pacific Capital, Recruit Strategic Partners)
December 2013 $5 M Series A

Facts Sheet and Details (Crunchbase)