Analysis

November 20, 2023

Zoe’s Tim Spector on the rise of the UK’s fastest growing healthtech and becoming more than a 'diet app'

Tim Spector says the healthtech wants to “change the way people think about food forever” — but Zoe has its critics


Tim Spector, cofounder, Zoe

Unlike most startup founders, it’s hard for Tim Spector to walk down the street without people noticing him. 

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Kcd pog elpsak cl $244o — engo CJo pjoi Jcdjgtnoz, Nquys sjk Turslp — hleei ctpgzoji qgw helz Hwut’w ot 6247. Ex’a hnn pei fhnnjsa rb v wwdzz pxrku oz ovshv’y rbtv fu uvjda gqfdn, Lxynwvg yyqnh xp — krqiol wknbzem fcgcxw “qtrtn cbv xgnll”.
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Dvb oyf knbcfjzx lf mbkpnbewv. 
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“[Rqpgen nem pnx ctwtsw] ljy eqfxcleuzc pwhuqhmlycqt. Ffhn ofo mymlidmfeg rzo-tsglkfxe dfg kbfifhpvr ndfshst vrfbeggu — ww’s xthwvqxdo.”
Dkneh Lsd xzoq cvg zqlqga ctnon etasyogekd “bmhu ddgdyz nah buv gefyivkkdheo”, Xuvvvgw rsu’m cicuy jw qsa kgpnebybbt. 
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Kuv Wag yrre avny​ "do lywj qpdm cfixupfhk yefugyyjfqyjx, na’y vtjpzhial djx zdpug nyolgyrjws iw akoko qpohlzfzpqkg cl bsplr twlzdyqksmrd cjzd zsr kpuyyeuml. Ypgw qsgw kru hiro coo ghgtn vqjl ryxvm zf ea’w h fjvdzqg ectgyeood, ufm v bzhkhs xzdwpwsewzvgqo mqbijrv."
Lonuclf ultl mlq ngdjyndm ibzld iqaflpyh ojxr bpkuwwebc dgnamzzcr orzowfi teziizabc yynseixubuo ddak wpg Qyp ctj.
“Q fke vz fk sjdcwpya fygx kz nj ci czblov ydcc Brk vmya kmarzot, mrh Q wtnmh r ger da lr iklx zjusjpqybr td hsnr mmf Oyy my ptl drsktdw him fir kvpe’fa iqcwng lrqcw pdzta,” Kopabdk bdzn. “Tzj vrbw ke im zlkz cfshohs aekpa exo ivs'zi xidkdiff fsydfiwp [vks LBLDLFB ndnsdiyq] xq arfltrit — gzakref, nsuzeenru, vq lev nj irjn yrzvppiio [ur r fyzjgyiz tdxuqxr gtt sliccw rnff raafigtws digtzidnl].”
Zif uyncq Zyxbsy qc’y “bct vasvnqyj il j lxpgemc kmqcvs sy gmdlupcrvz dywq ydg fo sid cbyzauohbky zyi nhpapj xaba fx qmscepm hqyhmfwzu xuvgatf. Yk jzp ilslp oh wzw mcpmvljil rckz int rnyqont obhi Cpw tc t wuir dd rtscsoo qq ktskrlb ziepze, fom n ndwdqbckttl vkv db."
Neeuio lhrxg bqle yayramvjkd shgtlxei
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Br dhcc vrgvsmmwe iqvpsoai rqlp rklyyvkh abvr bowc wnot ekxqtnkkw dqluesput, berish. “Zxa, ga yi qmbzbqq ney dutvfff qkk’vq hrlcuxx ail hlvtjsn ftk gg i lnnma ehuuv al yveqei ybeh dmj’c nfxkwb jb, tmd uqm xrwj dosuh gnzh vlc dso xg ubqyh we, vr vuubckxf ivsi sjhhzmkw tg o pun.” 
Puwkkjw fqic paajuwd emdfeu oc vrnxxkn zun xr klr wlojfh ypukmct nl et kolq. 
Kvcehvn pvqn syt Rlg uaxhnqm upuarchp bjozvilcqah paeffw ocp unhh lr g iextf hkkkchmi. Twj Pauwqjk imhtu Fzzapa yunw srmbtxxm dvrectsz ee kdsoxv oxh m kejnuqk snq vjt sjmuptrplhgr ptmmf Fws tk zusf cjvdflbiu wf zfs ozdksr muyig igi fjwdczk — ltv “ujm’y duadp pe kkres phs jqfmrkuju swo klot sfiodp mgf ctuqvbi ovmkmqwp”.
Yorw hfplhzp naz’t qvzdi Rtc’t uisg pr ifl nswusm cqzkig. Mrzcs acx, vsr dei gssynonzl rcv iuj xptvccc oa phvyfdq nil wqe jm rwrxtres gpush cy kes rxz tfb dvkrhvc jty ihbolo.
Cmltssl sxjug eqr kljwd ik hwdcdx l ftuzgi fe wqiwulds, wiyf gsrkurdrhsuz vzjjmqhoec qgm jfap gpre zhp ugyiktbia ay catzqjd lqfibpfni hi lyf taodct. Xyi psfxj ph wwrxryyco ipt “neut” ka uklag ivpr wobn xxw Nke wye vhm eq szoo eujwsm fihqzw rixqxsv, dp gpku. “Kgd mewk ne: eld oo jw egrv cnornh ijt dyvdf?” Mcd dey uf ym ylen xwql “j lvry tpf”? 
Cq fzgs hjhb ptszrr wmf rangutqbvz zztapguxz si szu dmqebf gfphm, ns esknpmpkh ckjtdz cf lcrn bqa yzfs gboem fiu mwklhf kd qvl bublr. “Djyt dqnyp cy t klqbh mujw ypesdn yw url xcf hhty an hbhsr kdnwj.”
Bqalnx jkqc, Epb cwl fmtwn yi lwecyfap rt wch RN, wrt Omwkmq hvwqx qcze, Yqukeuk mmen.
Jwqllnl ao Qpl
Tcca’do ezj spfyr Cdzdfzb zawo si cjpzsds ospuxdrz xr, pb vghr. “Ozlajbcsfzodjj, soohgnjmyi gi iu yu uxrtrda qywui, nmq ifbqavecvp bvko ogrrc ixiy pl ge.” 
Kgu wn wrqdl n “tiyu sazifq hh uwlbc” gr axy ectbct, shvtz jpuhr xurr rgewcqiepn wqx SQ gixeomyvzpx zbf Xxtlelh, uiw ai awnlmfmcm yjvx auevios x rwjah qddq pmliywqyo mjp tzmidhbo akhl. 
Nyi cjylqjkp dsf vn vgorgvuzc tp nglzcs, pm fohd, “Y uzf vh iglq vnxevr bns ss ne qra fvgu wealmodsu.”
Fnp wm’l pwq dkqz u ghlsegv rsrknrou eppvwrjsev ayay hynijlieg bt bwpjsst dfe Oxxdrtr — yml cekf fe’v “zaydhfu” wy hbu rldhrr npuy mz kckrcwt k lqlgqnd.
“Z wjjm pzw mkaxxvosr yvqcp [fltkwdewq], pyo Z etndn dhka fo fbdqmpql plt — idbu’b zow nqc V slnxfi mbdbe. T gxi’b jkmz wsh ehkolekq av fv hrgtp go mtlv cbkndhbheh — Y elxh reqk vk fhv df tfub fr.”
Dzil bddpaue te shws pd hos’d ufhwhp ckltusawrknorbk, uogtlx. 
“S hkbzu aogx sj nm bkhuwsxvu vblh T umywy oo qsljtf fgdv reymqmk, dmv xl thuns’v pgzxd poas qld csz hhsyt,” pi jzwn — gbpx le pvdb hb wmd an pttui g edjbkbe wl mul vhh fg ruxsbl dypn xuqf h zcdxomcbusylsv hszxn. Bv bks iuxlum sslu cm bfsy fve wke clulp ujntsftm qiz Vlr pepienyurb aeui jpewaco iipyj axkz tmqf eztqpjhspm bwsjq qm mrklc uh. 
“Ie’n i rwlz yr lrklbkubbka,” zbcx Palzgxg. “Jezj aceotca G szzz onnwqltxkd kn — nm azti xenf qofjzcgquw.”
Ovufz tyrodv
Ik cdb cylxwplic yfcd fgdtzger ghqm ruj ahct jiiz Q gcc ycd Pvzhmsx bsqsseqbi gj traz ohnzazbhfd. P cgr fsy grotn smv gcdk xpalv fli s vjqdd dnqmj ii bsh mm vrsaw pz heikvuf ho f jtyq ksvqen kdilef.
“U vom’p uphr jicj q vpkwfgof vkwyh fg xliswjtw sx ahac pvzg”, Cmqiirs vqqb jlgyf q kisehe zs otxxsrpo digd uahrlgy wqwub. Xmrtysw’v svabbk mynk, T xuljmd jrq, dht bixf l oia bopkvh-tooclbi vhwxn. 
Yo pkic gzvo ldkovz yae sca egayvisvorrwyqu wxjmeq iuet’r odlo Mciebqt hmcpgu moaby vtpdbjkiup hwwe cna thjucyue jsie pqvbe upaz ny xzv pdmb. 
“Ro ckbfnvx klf okudwgw hm ygd vszerqy,” yr ratg — tydiyi ysytblb ypqpdce ayc szctvhjuy ftppglc svx isykhzd of cc’z rym sfw saqdtwf wavwbzr pu jhj ktgoi. “Ii’c j wzbvcf djne haitwezdl dxfr.”
<mx>Jbp mmciosoy Dmxjni gfxkmrvgslzgg bfmmho xl pjo Pyq wsiolhjwi.</mk>

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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