Wegovy is not the end of the story… Targeting 'diet without yo-yo' here

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As next-generation obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro rapidly spread in Korea, the threshold for short-term weight loss has dropped significantly. However, the 'management' gap that follows remains unchanged. There is a lack of services to address side effects that vary from person to person and to help users maintain their weight without 'yo-yo' effects after weight loss. A digital health care startup has stepped into this gap: Vivid Health, the operator of 'Ppiyak'.

Ppiyak is a customized solution for users of GLP-1 class obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro. It supports the entire process from starting to take GLP-1 obesity medications through maintenance after discontinuation. Specifically, it includes: △response to side effects of GLP-1 injections that vary by individual; △dosage adjustment; △diet and exercise recommendations; and a community function allowing users to compare experiences similar to those of other obesity medication users.

Cheon (CEO) said, "Management is something that must continue for a lifetime, so it should not be painful," adding, "What users truly want from digital health care apps is not treatment or diagnosis, but management they can sustain in their daily lives." He further stated, "Services that present answers like preaching are difficult to use for long periods. Ppiyak aims to become a companion-type service that walks alongside users through difficult processes rather than an app that teaches them."

This direction is also reflected in Vivid Health's slogan of 'vibrancy'. The company name 'Vivid' and the Ppiyak logo featuring a yellow chick image convey a meaning of pursuing a more approachable and sustainable management experience instead of burdensome and difficult weight management.

Launched in January last year, Ppiyak surpassed 140,000 cumulative users within about one year. Currently, its daily active users (DAU) are at least 10,000, and monthly active users (MAU) are also at least 50,000. The main user base consists of women and men in their 30s and 40s, with an average BMI around 30. Unlike typical diet apps, the proportion of male users reaches 40%.

The reason Cheon (CEO) became interested in the GLP-1 class obesity treatment market started from personal experience. He was previously prescribed 'Saxenda', a GLP-1 class obesity treatment, before Wegovy and Mounjaro arrived in Korea.

Cheon (CEO) said, "At that time, my weight increased rapidly, and I was prescribed Saxenda, but it was difficult because there was no suitable space to find information on side effects, user reviews, or data about the drug." He added, "I looked for diet communities, but those were spaces where already slim people shared tips for further weight loss through body profiles, rather than providing information that people who actually needed drug treatment could refer to."

Eventually, Cheon (CEO) created a Kakao open chat room with about 20 other individuals taking similar medications, and they began exchanging medication reviews, forming a small community. While operating the chat room, Cheon (CEO) organized changes after medication, side effects, weight loss trends, etc., in Excel and shared them. The information and experiences exchanged there became the foundation for the future Ppiyak service.

At the same time, while separately investigating the obesity treatment market, Cheon (CEO) noted the possibility that GLP-1 class treatments would spread rapidly if Wegovy and Mounjaro entered Korea. He judged that a completely different user experience and management market was needed compared to the existing diet market, and thus Ppiyak was born.

The core of Ppiyak is recording and visualization. Users can see at a glance graphs showing medication timing, weight change trends, and weight loss speed. It also provides information that can be referenced when side effects occur, along with diet and exercise management functions. In other words, it converts the scattered sensations of the experience during medication into data that can be viewed all at once.

The community function is also a strength. Users can share their records and connect with others who have had similar experiences. Taking obesity medications involves more than just weight loss; it comes with concerns about side effects, weight loss speed, discontinuation timing, and maintenance. Therefore, solidarity with similar people can itself become an important management tool.

The company has currently accumulated over 2 million pieces of actual medication-effect data. It is proactively collecting various data such as: △weight loss trends by weight range; △correlation between lifestyle changes and effects; and △changes in health indicators for long-term medication users.

Cheon (CEO) said, "Accumulated data ultimately becomes a barrier to entry," adding, "The more data accumulates, the more precise management can be provided for each user, allowing us to stay half a step ahead of competitors." Based on this data, the company is enhancing functions that more precisely present where a user's weight loss speed stands compared to others and what kind of management is needed at which point.

In the future, customized products will also be launched based on this data. Noting that nutritional components such as protein requirements differ at each stage—early medication, during medication, and after discontinuation—the company is also planning an expansion into a data-based line of customized health products.

Cheon (CEO) said, "What matters most is not how quickly one loses weight in the short term, but whether they can understand their body and sustainably manage it without collapsing afterward." He added, "Ppiyak aims to become a companion-type service that helps users navigate the long process before and after taking obesity medications with less loneliness and uncertainty."

[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]