Alba Health: supporting your child’s diet

“Diet and gut health are extremely important in a child’s early years. And although we all have lots of information on healthy food, there’s often little practical support and people are left to figure things out on their own. That’s where we come in,” says Nora Cavani, founder and CEO of Alba Health.

Based in Stockholm, Alba Health produces a gut microbiome test designed specifically for children. Nora founded the company in 2022, inspired by her studies and experience with eczema as a child. “I always wondered why my skin was so sensitive. My experience led me to dig deeper into why one in three children develop allergies,” she explains.

The product

Alba Health’s process is straightforward: parents receive a home testing kit, collect a stool sample from their child, and send it back. Alba Health then analyses the microbiome and provides parents with a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand report. “The report includes dietary recommendations, recipes, and clinical evidence,” says Nora. “We also offer a coaching session with a certified professional to help parents interpret the results and make informed decisions. We try to connect the dots between recommendations and actual practical steps to implement them.”

Artificial intelligence plays a key role in this process. Using machine learning, the company detects patterns in the microbiome linked to digestive issues, such as constipation, which affects one in three children. “AI helps us identify whether constipation is microbiome-related or caused by other factors. This level of insight is unique,” says Nora.

My experience led me to dig deeper into why one in three children develop allergies. ”

- Nora Cavani, founder and CEO of Alba Health

A changing societal mindset

To get started, Alba Health received an equity investment from Voima Ventures, a fund supported by the EU. This financial support enabled the company to develop and commercialise its product, taking it from idea to market. “When we started promoting our tests on social media, we were blown away by the thousands of requests.”

Nora attributes this success to a growing societal awareness of health and nutrition. “Interestingly, 50% of our customers’ children don’t have any gut issues – they just want to know more about the relationship between diet and long-term health,” Nora notes. “Today’s parents are more conscious than ever about their children’s health, and we try to provide guidance on nutrition and the gut microbiome,” she concludes. “As awareness continues to grow, so will the demand for our solutions.”