A noted serial entrepreneur, biohacking evangelist, bestselling author and Chief Curator of the World Bio Hack Summit Dubai, Sajeev Nair dons several hats with ease. He is also the Chairman and Founder of health tech start-up Vieroots Wellness Solutions, a company headquartered in Bengaluru, India, which has introduced India’s first Human Performance Optimization (HPO) programmes, aiming to revolutionize physical, emotional, and cognitive performance by leveraging the latest in epigenetic lifestyles, AI, big data, and wearables.
In an interview with Business Frontier’s Features Editor Deepa Natarajan Lobo, the dedicated businessman speaks about his commitment to transforming lives through personalized healthcare solutions.
Can you give a brief insight into your childhood days?
I hail from central Kerala and grew up in a village in a joint family set-up. I don’t remember harbouring any early motivation to be an entrepreneur, even though I could sense that I had natural leadership qualities and could do many tasks better than my peers like reading extensively, observing closely and communicating well with others.
Looking back into my childhood, I can see that all my experiences – both the good ones and the challenges – as well as my whole circumstances conspired to mould me into the wellness evangelist and entrepreneur that I have become, just like how Paulo Coelho puts it in ‘The Alchemist’. For instance, my keen observation of the ancient culinary traditions of my village has helped me to elaborate on the importance of the gut microbiome in my biohacking book, while my own frequent trysts with respiratory allergies in my childhood resulted in developing a helpful supplement for those suffering from it called Vieroots Curcumin Latte.
What made you set up Vieroots Wellness Solutions?
Vieroots is the latest in a string of entrepreneurial ventures that I have set up from my 30s to 50s. Though I have set up successful ventures in diverse domains including software and hospitality, my core interest has remained Wellness and Human Performance Optimization (HPO). Many of my social media followers know me more as a motivator, life coach, biohacker and peak performance consultant for corporates, which are roles that are aligned with my vision for Wellness and HPO. I started out as an associate for one of the largest US-based wellness giants, and could build one of the largest networks in India for this brand.
During that phase, I became an ace motivator for tens of thousands of marketers, as I studied motivational science in-depth. But soon enough, I realised that something more than mental hacks is needed for sustained peak performance, and after becoming one of the first Indians to undergo a genetic test in the US, I knew that this missing link was peak physiological and cognitive health, or more specifically genetic and metabolic wellness. The way forward to achieve this was geno-metabolic grade biohacking, and I wrote a book about it titled ‘The Making of a Superhuman’ which went on to be a bestseller. Vieroots Wellness Solutions was set up soon after to provide such biohacking solutions to the health-conscious people.
What unique products or services does your company offer in the realm of wellness?
Our flagship product, EPLIMO, is India’s pioneering geno-metabolic lifestyle modification solution. It uniquely integrates genetic testing and metabolic assessment to detect risks for over 200 lifestyle diseases, and offers personalized lifestyle modifications in diet, nutrition, supplements, exercise, yoga, meditation, breath-work etc that are research-validated to keep your specific risks at bay.
We have also introduced specialised geno-metabolic solutions, including our DNA-Based Weight Loss Program, which caters to individuals who haven’t succeeded with other weight loss methods. Our range of natural supplements provides precision nutrition for general health and specific needs like weight management, longevity, brain power enhancement, and peak performance, setting us apart from typical supplement brands.
Our latest innovation, Human Performance Optimization (HPO), allows clients to select specific optimization modules, such as ‘Optimize My Age’, ‘Optimize My Gut’ etc. Other such modules are for weight, heart, liver, sugar and brain. These 90-day programmes combine genetic testing, metabolic assessment, one-on-one health coaching, and the Trigr ecosystem with its super app and wearables. Together, these solutions embody our commitment to cutting-edge, personalized wellness and performance optimization.
What is your leadership philosophy and how does it guide decision-making within the company?
We rigorously adhere to our 3M Protocol – Measure, Monitor, Manage – for all our wellness solutions as well as for our internal performance metrics. This continuous improvement philosophy drives our decision-making and operational efficiency. I inspire and lead by example through webinars, books, speeches, blogs, videos, social media interactions, thought retreats, and rapid transformation events, ensuring that all at Vieroots are committed to this proactive approach.
As a serial entrepreneur, what is your advice to budding business owners?
I advise aspiring entrepreneurs to start ventures in sectors they are genuinely passionate about, as this passion will sustain and drive them forward. This passion allows me to work tirelessly, as it feels less like work and more like fulfilling my life’s purpose. Secondly, ensure that your start-up offers a great product or solution that fills a significant gap in the market, as we did with EPLIMO and our precision nutraceuticals. Once you achieve this, continually listen to your customers and use their feedback to grow your product’s adoption rate.
You wear the hats of a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and author among many other things. How do you strike a balance between all?
Well, this may seem like a task, striking this balance between such varied roles. But for me, this comes natural, as I always put my audience’s interests first. I will explain this with examples. Why did I write books? Because, many people are only motivated by books. Why did I start video blogs? Because, many people don’t like books, but only videos. Balancing various roles may seem challenging to outsiders, but it comes naturally to me as I prioritize the interests of my target audience.
According to you, what trends will rule the wellness industry in future?
Wellness sector is decisively coming of age, on multiple growth engines like prevention, performance, genetics, nutrition, metabolomics, precision medicine, longevity, health span, emotional health quotient and lots more. Post Covid, the world is waking up to the fact that we need much more in healthcare, and that is prevention, wellness and performance optimization.
Global studies on this subject project that in the $10 trillion healthcare sector, wellness and prevention will overtake treatments 60:40% by as early as the end of the next decade. This is already generating a great need for experienced lifestyle coaches, and we are meeting this need too with our Viegyan Certified Lifestyle Coaching program, where we absorb candidates who successfully get certified.
