Keyto Scores $2.5M Seed Financing

The funding was led by David Sacks' Craft Ventures, with participation from Floodgate Fund, Abstract Ventures and Hydra Ventures as well as leading entrepreneurs Julia Hartz (Eventbrite co-founder and CEO) and Kevin Hartz (Eventbrite co-founder and early investor in Pinterest, PayPal and Airbnb).

Keyto is a sophisticated health program comprised of a smart breath sensor that can detect when the body is in ketosis (a state in which it burns fats rather than sugars and carbohydrates for fuel) and a scientific app that provides personalized food and lifestyle recommendations based on an individual's physiology. The funding will allow the company to expand research and development of its proprietary gas nanosensor as well as manufacturing capabilities and coincides with the launch of the company's presale campaign on Indiegogo.

"The caliber of our investment partners is a testament to the strong product we have built over the past year. We can now bring one of the most promising and sophisticated health programs to market," said Dr. Ethan Weiss, associate professor and preventative cardiologist at UCSF and co-founder of Keyto, Inc. "We have made the science behind the ketogenic diet simple with a device that can track metabolism in real-time paired with an app that provides actionable recommendations to help people lose weight fast while maintaining healthy lifestyles."

"Over the past year, the ketogenic diet has become one of the most popular diets in the United States. We believe the market is ripe for a device like Keyto, which can help people reach their goals more effectively," said David Sacks, co-founder and general partner of Craft Ventures. "The Keyto team's proven track record combined with the unique form factor of its product make it a very compelling investment."

How it Works

The ketogenic diet is based on achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis. When the body enters nutritional ketosis, the liver makes ketones from fatty acids and releases them into the bloodstream. Traditional methods for detecting ketones include urine strips, which are messy and inaccurate or blood tests, which are painful and expensive. Keyto takes a different approach by detecting a byproduct of ketone production, acetone, in the breath.

To use the device, users simply breathe into the cylindrical device and view the result on the Keyto app, which is delivered as an easy-to-understand "Keyto Level." The higher the level, the greater the state of ketosis and the more efficient the fat burn.

Decoding decades of scientific study and clinical experience by Dr. Ethan Weiss, the Keyto app is one of the most comprehensive ketogenic diet resources available. It boasts a series of unique features and uses machine learning algorithms to deliver the right information at the right time to individuals based on their Keyto Level, body measurements, age and goals.

The Keyto App

The iOS and Android app includes personalized meal plans and lifestyle recommendations, a comprehensive library of ketogenic recipes as well as educational and inspirational videos from Dr. Weiss. In addition, the app features a built-in social community that keeps people connected and motivated by encouraging support from friends and family, while also providing a unique color-coded guide of over 10,000 items (the Keyto Code) showing which foods to eat while on the ketogenic diet.

Availability

Keyto will ship in early Q1 2019 and is being brought to market by an executive team with impressive expertise in launching and growing dynamic businesses. In addition to Dr. Ethan Weiss, the Keyto co-founders include Dr. Ray Wu and Liana Nakamura, who previously co-founded Weilos (YC '13), a social network for weight loss that was acquired by Weight Watchers in 2015, and Gareth Everard, founder of Rockwell Razors, a leading global consumer goods brand in the traditional shaving category.

For more information, please visit: www.getkeyto.com

About Keyto
Keyto is a health and wellness company that combines a scientifically proven program with a unique device to achieve unprecedented results. The company's core principle is to use rapid feedback to modify user behavior and achieve weight loss over a sustained time period. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, it is founded by team of metabolic and weight loss experts with deep product design experience, including Dr. Ethan Weiss, Dr. Ray Wu, Liana Nakamura and Gareth Everard.