It is estimated that metabolic syndrome affects about two out of every five Malaysians.

In Malaysia, a new business under the financial investment firm SOL Partnership has introduced what may be the first AI-powered at-home gut health screening service. SpaceGut is a laboratory service that delivers customized suggestions for a person’s gut health in addition to an at-home gut microbiome kit. Its lab analyzes samples against a database of more than 50,000 microbiome profiles using a proprietary AI to find more than 30 health indicators.

SpaceGut emphasized Malaysia’s “silent crisis” in gut health in a statement.”We see a rise in gut-related health issues in Malaysia, from digestive discomfort to chronic conditions linked to lifestyle and diet,” Tony Wong, our CEO, said.

About two out of five adults, or 8.5 million people, have metabolic syndrome, according to the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s Institute for Public Health’s most recent National Health and Morbidity Survey results. These include disorders like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abdominal obesity, which increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and malignancies of the liver or colon. In the meantime, SpaceGut revealed its intention to grow into wellness centers, supplements, and nutritionist services in the future.

AMILI, a gut microbiome-focused startup with a multi-ethnic microbiome database and a proprietary analytics engine, is located in Singapore, a neighboring country. It raised more than $10 million in Series A capital in 2022, and last year East Ventures made an undisclosed investment.

Being the first to provide an RNA-based test for the gut microbiota at home, Viome is a significant player in the US market. Additionally, it has made its test kit available through CVS in retail pharmacies.