Age 35 Title and Company Cofounders, Yazio As the cofounders of Yazio, Florian Weissenstein and Sebastian Weber share one goal: To create the world’s No. 1 diet and nutrition tracker. So far, they’re poised for success. Since its inception in 2013, Yazio, a nutrition app, has amassed millions of users worldwide in 150 countries and 20 different languages. “We try to adapt to each language and to each culture,” says Weissenstein.
A Business Relationship That Began in College
Weissenstein and Weber, both 35, live in Erfut, a small village in central Germany. They met during their first week at the Technical University of Erminau, where they were both studying economics. They ended up rooming together. Both men had always been active, playing volleyball, doing track and field, cycling, and working out at the gym. When he was 18, Weissenstein decided he wanted to drop a few pounds. He lost 20 kilograms, or 44 pounds, in roughly seven months. “I’m a little bit blessed because it was a little bit easy for me,” he admits. But it wasn’t a magical formula: Not only did he still exercise, he also changed his nutritional habits. And he quickly understood that others needed to know about nutrition too. “The main idea for Sebastian and me in the first two years was that this is a field that seems to affect a lot of people,” he says.
What’s in a Name? Yazio Launches in Europe
Yazio launched in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2011, initially as a browser-based food diary. The name is made up, courtesy of a name generator. “Sorry to say, it doesn’t mean ‘super health’ in Japanese,” Weissenstein says with a laugh. Since then, Yazio, which is compatible with Android and iOS phones, has expanded its target audience to include not only people who want to drop weight, but those who want to maintain their current weight or even gain.
How Yazio Works and How Much It Costs
The app, which syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit, compiles your vital statistics, and then informs you how long it will take to get the results you want. It also offers suggested calorie, carb, protein, and fat intake for every meal, all of which are clearly displayed on the home screen. As for costs, Yazio offers a “freemium” model: All of the apps’ calorie counting functions are free. For less than $4 a month, you can get Yazio Pro, which includes a large recipe database, automatic tracking, statistics, and nutritional information, among other things. Today, Yazio has 35 employees and offers everything from recipes and calorie counting to tips on intermittent fasting and tailored meal plans, including one on post-pregnancy nutrition. “We focus on food tracking on the one hand, and on the other hand we focus on teaching the user what are good foods and what are bad foods,” Weissenstein says. “We give all kind of nutritional content tailored to the user. We teach the user regarding their goal. What kind of food should you eat? What kinds of recipes should you pay attention to? We combine two things in one product. And that’s something nobody else does.” “We have a lot of success stories on the website,” he continues. “You get a sense that you influenced someone’s life. And that’s super satisfying for Seb and me and the whole team.” It’s worth noting that the men don’t just share a company. They live in the same building: Weber and his family in an apartment on the first floor, and Weissenstein in an apartment on the third. “Sebastian has a wife and kid,” says Weissenstein. “My ‘kid’ is the company."
