Lumen and the Kirin Group Take on the Challenge of Healthcare That Supports Each Individual

I believe the biggest challenge is the gap between knowledge and practice—specifically, the fact that people know what to do but can’t stick with it. These days, anyone can easily look up information on what’s good for their health and appropriate lifestyle habits. But, actually sticking with those habits in daily life is by no means easy. We know in our heads that consistency and maintenance are important. Yet, amid the busyness of everyday life, these things end up getting put on the back burner. I believe this gap is the biggest challenge we face right now.

Exactly. Precisely because there is too much information and too many options, it’s becoming difficult to figure out what actually works for oneself right now. That’s why I feel there’s a growing need for personalization—an approach tailored to each individual’s specific condition—rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all health regimen.

Even when listening to consumers’ feedback, I can see that current technology already allows us to understand and visualize our own physical condition. However, there’s still a lack of suggestions for that next step—the question, “So, what should I do, starting today?” When faced with too many options and unsure of the next step to take, people end up falling into a vicious cycle where their motivation wanes and they give up on sticking with it.

Of course, there’s great value in measuring and accumulating data itself. However, to be honest, simply looking at past numbers as “logs” rarely serves as a strong enough motivation to change one’s behavior. I believe that people can only take action when there’s a system in place that allows them to interpret the visualized data—thinking, “Because I spent my day this way yesterday, my body is in this condition today”—and use that insight to make the right choices moving forward.

I was previously in the procurement department, and I volunteered to transfer to this department because I wanted to work on projects that change people’s lives from a position closer to the customer. What I keenly realized there was this barrier: Simply providing good products with quality ingredients or accurate information isn’t enough to change people’s health behaviors. No matter how excellent a product we create, if we overlook the design of the experience—that is, how consumers internalize it as part of their own lives at specific moments in their daily routines and turn it into a habit—we cannot truly enrich their lives. I was deeply impressed by how thoroughly the entire team engages in discussions about how to actually bring about that behavioral change.

The Kirin Group has been focusing in earnest on the Health Sciences business as a key area of the group since 2019, but honestly, a health regimen that relies solely on self-restraint, effort, and sheer willpower isn’t sustainable in the long run. Actually, I wasn’t very robust as a child, and my parents were extremely careful about my diet and nutrition. Since I’ve been taking supplements since childhood, I’ve always had a firsthand experience of how the body changes through food. That’s precisely why I’ve been constantly thinking about ways to achieve health naturally through diet and lifestyle habits—rather than through self-restraint or sheer willpower. With that in mind, I want to create a world where everyone can find healthy habits that suit them without strain, using science and data, and maintain them naturally. To achieve this, I believe we need to do more than just deliver products or devices; we need to provide opportunities for behavioral change that are closely attuned to people’s daily lives.

Lumen is a wellness device that visualizes your current condition using a proprietary 1–5 scale based on exhaled breath data, providing an opportunity to reflect on daily lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise, and rest. Its most distinctive feature is that it doesn’t just record data—it instantly displays changes in whether your body is primarily burning carbohydrates or fats and, through the app, suggests specific actions for the day, such as “So, how should I spend today?”

＊Measurements taken with this product are not intended for medical use.
＊The programs accompanying this product are not intended for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases.

With weight and body fat percentage, it takes several weeks to several months for changes to become apparent, even after you start exercising or restricting your diet. That’s why many people give up without seeing results right away. However, the metrics displayed by Lumen change in real time in response to your daily activities—such as the timing of your meals, sleep, and exercise from the previous day. Since you can feel right away that “the conscious choices I made yesterday are leading to a better condition today,” it motivates you to reflect positively on your daily habits.

I’ve actually been using a test unit here at the office, and it’s significantly changed my own life.

I used to be the type who’d jump at any new health tip I came across and try it out, but I could never seem to make it a habit. But since I started using Lumen, my lifestyle has completely transformed. Every morning, I blow into the device to check my metrics, and I’ve naturally started reflecting on my actions—like figuring out why my score is what it is: “I didn’t get quite enough sleep last night,” or “I ended up snacking late at night.” Actually, I love alcohol and often have a drink in the evening, but driven by the excitement of wanting to get a better score on my morning reading, I’ve tried various strategies—like cutting back on the amount of carbs at dinner, eating earlier, or swapping my evening drink for a non-alcoholic beverage. As a result, my metrics the next morning changed dramatically, and to be honest, I was surprised.

I realized, “The results really show up this clearly,” and found it fascinating how my lifestyle habits are reflected in my daily readings. I’m not forcing myself to give up alcohol; I’ve been able to stick with this out of a positive desire to achieve a good score.

＊Results may vary by individual.

We’ve formed a volunteer community within the company to use Lumen, and since Ms. En always posts amazing metabolic scores, our conversations often revolve around asking, “How do you maintain that level?”. It’s not just about looking at the numbers; with Lumen, it might also be easier to foster a community where users can reflect on their own experiences—saying things like, “Maybe it’s because I did this yesterday”—and share insights with one another. I’ve come to realize that this, too, is a major factor that helps sustain our commitment.

Our CVC evaluates over 1,000 startups annually and promotes open innovation with the Kirin Group. We have been investing in the startup behind Lumen since 2023. The deciding factors were its unique scientific basis and its proven track record of being supported by many customers and continuously used in the North American market. While there are various products in the health sector, Lumen featured a strong user experience design that encouraged users to voluntarily change their behavior and continue using it while enjoying the process. As the Kirin Group’s corporate venture capital (CVC) arm, this marks our first attempt to introduce an advanced overseas health tech device into the Japanese market as a new business venture.

Simply importing and selling devices as-is won’t allow them to take root in the daily lives of Japanese consumers. Japan has its own unique food culture and lifestyle rhythms, and the phase of developing health awareness and values differs from that overseas. That’s precisely why we—who have a deep understanding of the Japanese market and consumers—engage in repeated discussions with the startup members, refine the experience so that Japanese consumers can naturally incorporate it into their daily lives, and communicate thoroughly. I believe the Kirin Group’s strength lies in our social implementation capabilities—not just investing and watching from the sidelines, but running the full course together toward commercialization.

There are two main strengths. The first is the scientific evidence and insights cultivated through many years of research in fermentation, biotechnology, and health sciences.

Second is our consumer perspective and connection to daily life, which comes from having interacted with a wide range of customers over many years through food and beverages, particularly our beverages.

Once technology has visualized a person’s internal condition, the question becomes: How do we care for it? The Kirin Group already has a full range of concrete options—food, beverages, and supplements—that we’ve developed over many years. Rather than simply visualizing and stopping there, we can consistently propose and provide daily dietary choices and habits tailored to each individual’s condition. I believe this is the greatest strength that only the Kirin Group can offer.

I agree. Actually, I myself have had the bitter experience of launching an internal venture in the past that ultimately had to be shut down. It was truly frustrating at the time, but the Kirin Group has a corporate culture that doesn’t let a single failure define you; instead, it uses that experience as a learning opportunity and gives you another chance to take on a new challenge. We don’t need to be obsessed with building everything from scratch in-house. Identifying outstanding technologies and ideas from around the world, combining them with our own strengths, and quickly delivering them to society is also a valid form of innovation. I want to cherish this mindset of continuing to deliver options that are truly valuable to our customers, without being confined to the framework of in-house development.

What surprised me when I was transferred to the New Business Development Office was that every member approaches their work with a strong passion, believing, “We’re not just cogs in a large corporation; we’re the ones leading the future of the company and society.” I want to make this Lumen initiative a success and spark a major wave within the company that encourages everyone to take on even more new challenges.

Up until now, we’ve focused our efforts on developing metrics in the field of immunity. If immunity is the “defensive foundation” that supports vital functions, then metabolism—which is deeply intertwined with diet and exercise—is the offensive foundation that supports our daily activities. If we can take care of both, people will be able to lead more positive and active lives. I believe Lumen is the first step toward building that offensive foundation. Through these efforts to address health challenges, we aim to deliver value to society while also growing our business. We believe that achieving this balance is the form of CSV we are striving for.

We don’t want to have a one-time relationship where we simply sell supplements or devices and call it a day. Instead, we aim to use technology to gain a deep and long-term understanding of each customer’s condition and build relationships where we can continue to support them. While the Lumen wellness device serves as a starting point this time, we have various other initiatives in the works that leverage digital tools and technology. Looking beyond Japan and adopting a global perspective, we will work to realize a society where each individual can proactively incorporate health habits tailored to their needs into their daily lives.

What we ultimately want to deliver is health that supports each individual while valuing scientific evidence. While there is a wide variety of health information and services available, we believe it is our responsibility to continue delivering our own unique and reliable value to customers who trust the Kirin Group brand and choose our products. We want to shift away from a health approach that relies on self-restraint and effort toward one where people enjoy the daily changes involved in “living vibrantly as their true selves.” To that end, using Lumen as our starting point, we will continue to drive new innovations that leverage the power of people and technology to help each individual discover and maintain health habits that are right for them. Through these ongoing challenges, we aim to create the Next Kirin in the health sector.