In this Q&A, Hamish Grierson, CEO and co-founder, Thriva, talks to DTC Daily about how the health checking company are looking to grow following their most recent funding round, and how they are using the data to take the business to the next level. 

Can you explain what Thriva does? 

Thriva’s mission is to put optimal health in anyone’s hands by providing tools and actionable insights, based on the latest research. We offer clinical-grade, at-home health tests that empower people with information to make positive changes to improve their health. 

Our kits measure a range of things, from our original blood tests, which measure biomarkers in your blood to our thyroid tracking product and stress (cortisol) test.

How have digitally native businesses like Thriva changed the way people are keeping tabs on their health? 

Many of us have innovated across every aspect of our lives - the way we shop, bank, travel and how we look after our bodies. Health is now our own business. We are able to educate and arm ourselves with products and services that enable us to proactively maintain wellbeing.

With Thriva, we offer personalised recommendations based on your health goals and test results.  For example, if they’re a vegan and are looking to boost energy levels, we’d ask them to look at their iron levels, or if they’re vitamin D deficient, we can advise them on the best foods to eat to boost their levels. This helps to improve their current and long-term health.

Congratulations on the latest funding round! How are you guys planning on using this investment? 

We’ll be using the investment to focus on product development, recruitment, and growing the business.

As Thriva enters new markets, are there complexities surrounding the different approaches to healthcare in each country? How do you overcome these?

Thriva is currently a UK-focussed business, but we are not opposed to expansion into other countries in the future.

Health is individual, the way people manage it is very personal. Different countries manage it differently. But what we see as common, is a global trend towards an anti-paternalistic health attitude where people are in charge.

What channels do you plan to use to get the word out about Thriva, and bring in more users?

We work with a mix of digital platforms, but word of month plays a great role in helping drive referrals. 

How are you using customer insights gleaned from your platform to continue to develop the business, and product offering?

We're a very customer-centric business. What this means in practice is involving the customer at every stage throughout the process. By doing this and speaking with our customers regularly is a useful way to gain a strong understanding of what is working on the platform and what isn’t.