Health and wellness startup PurelyB raises US$500K seed funding

• Aims to build Asia’s first health and wellness content integrated marketplace
• Aims to strengthen presence in Malaysia and Singapore, expand to new markets

 
KUALA Lumpur-based PurelyB Sdn Bhd, said it has raised US$500,000 (about RM2.2 million at current rates) in seed funding, led by Silicon Valley’s 500 Startups, with participation from Brunsfield Ventures Sdn Bhd and an undisclosed angel investor.
 
Founded in May by an all-woman team (pic above), the company operates the PurelyB portal, available in English and Chinese, which aims to be the leading one-stop portal for health and wellness in Asia.
 
Asia Pacific is the highest growth market in the global health and wellness industry, expected to exceed US$200 billion of annual retail sales in 2015 alone, it said in a statement, without citing its source.
 
“People in Asia are becoming increasingly health conscious, but it’s extremely difficult for them to find local healthy options or even know how to get started – everything is just too fragmented,” said PurelyB founder and chief executive officer Jesrina Arshad.
 
“We recognised the need for having this central solution. People want an easier and more convenient way to get information and access to products and services they need to lead healthier lifestyles.
 
“There’s a huge gap in the market which we intend to fill and positively impact people’s lives,” she added.
 
Initially launched as a content portal to inspire and motivate, PurelyB is now evolving towards its next phase – building Asia’s first health and wellness content integrated marketplace, the company said in its statement.
 
This holistic ecosystem will cover all aspects of wellness and provide ultimate trust, credibility and convenience to consumers and merchants, in the purchase of healthy goods and services, it declared.
 
The seed funding will be used to further develop its technology, solidifying its presence in Malaysia and Singapore, and expanding to new markets.
 
“By strengthening our online presence, ramping up marketing and expanding our offerings, we believe we can take PurelyB to the next level and truly become the leading go-to platform for healthy living in Asia,” said Jesrina (pic).
 
In September, PurelyB was named as one of the Top 100 startups in Asia by Red Herring, one of only three Malaysian companies on the list.
 
“Nothing more exciting than adding rocket fuel to what’s already an unstoppable train,” said 500 Startups managing partner Khailee Ng.
 
“Jesrina’s team has achieved so much on their own, [I] can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve with an additional US$500,000,” he added.
 
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