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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Pitch
Naughty Nutritionist tries playful touch with health, nutrition info
By Lynette F. Cornell
Regenerative medicine firms make business of creating skin
MHT's Emerging Technologies Forum: Health IT and the Cloud
The Naughty Nutritionist
Headquarters: Boston
Email: carnston@naughtynutritionist.net
Year founded: 2010
Phone: 617-642-0782
URL: www.naughtynutritionist.net
Employees: 1
The Pitch: $500,000
In the company’s own words:
“The Naughty Nutritionist is an online platform whose products and content inform the modern consumer about nutrition and health in a playful way. Our first products are small algae tabs called Naughty Bits, sold in large quantities on our website and in slim, attractive single serving tins at health clubs, cafes, bookstores, airports and other retail venues nationwide where Gen X/Y and active consumers shop. In short, we provide nourishment that is 100 percent natural, 100 percent simple and 100 percent sassy. All done with style and a smile – as indicated by our tag line ‘get naughty to get healthy!’”
The people behind the company:
Catharine Arnston, founder and CEO, has founded four other Internet companies. Her latest company, StealthHealth, provided one-on-one health coaching to individuals and nutrition workshops for companies. She also founded Hoteluxury Media, Hoteluxury Inc. and YourInteriors.com. She has seven outsourced consultants and plans to hire a staff of six people by the end of October.
The technology:
The Naughty Nutritionist functions on two business platforms: online nutrition guidance content and sales through rebranding of energy-boosting algae tablets that Arnston has dubbed Naughty Bits. Her site is geared toward college students and young adults who want health information that is interesting and relevant without being too clinical. Arnston said she is focused on solving the problem of consumer confusion caused by too many sources of health information that don’t address the needs and interests of the Generation X-ers and Y-ers. She said her company will solve this problem by delivering content to subscribers that focuses on health, nutrition, alternative health therapies and healthy foods and products.
The plan:
Arnston has already lined up production and packaging companies for the Naughty Bits. Once she raises $500,000, she plans to expand the site to include an online nutrition newsletter, intended to be spun out as its own site. The site will generate revenue from online advertising and sponsorships, she said. The company has begun generating revenue from sales of Naughty Bits, and Arnston said she expects these sales will support the company’s financial needs for the next one to three years.
The pitch:
The company is working to raise $500,000 in seed capital, either from angel investors or an early stage venture firm, to fund its Boston pilot. Arnston said she would prefer angel funding, and she expects to close at least $100,000 in angel financing by early October. Thus far, the company has been bootstrapped by Arnston, and she recently secured an angel investor. She anticipates raising $2 million to $3 million in venture funding next year for a national launch.
The market:
Arnston is seeking to use the Naughty Bits side of the Naughty Nutritionist to tap into both the $33 billion weight loss market and the wellness sector, which she said is currently worth over $100 billion globally.
"The Pitch" takes a look at a company, its executives and its technology-related business plan. To nominate your company for The Pitch section of Mass High Tech, please fill out the submission form.
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