Feeling The Pulse of Healthcare – Interview With Boris Hodakel

Arriving in the UK 10 years ago with just €3,000 to set up his first company, serial tech entrepreneur Boris Hodakel has grown five-year-old digital health and wellness subscription brand Feel into a global business with an eight-figure annual turnover and almost two million products sold worldwide.

London-based Feel has a presence in six global markets and was the first to launch vegan collagen; clinically validated as the most effective in the world. It has also this month announced the launch of Feel Pro Metabolic, its highly-anticipated weight management supplement.

Three years after receiving £14m in venture capital funding, the rapidly-expanding business now has tens of thousands of active customers worldwide, just announced expansion into the UAE and is on track for double-digit EBITDA in 2025.

Under his leadership, the brand has become a trailblazer in women’s health. With a philosophy centred on empowering customers to take control of their health journey with clarity and confidence, Feel’s award-winning range provides products for skin, anti-ageing, hair, menopause, mood, gut health and weight management.

Fee plans to further strengthen its software by using the power of customer data to better tailor and suggest more relevant health products to its customer base. Thanks to these features and an industry-leading 95% recurring revenue rate, Feel is on a rapid trajectory to becoming a global household name.

What Is Feel And What Do You Do?

Feel is a UK-based digital health subscription company, founded in 2019 in London, with a presence in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Ireland and now the UAE. Feel is fast-growing and digitally-led, delivering high quality, effective supplements backed by research and science.

At our core, we thrive on innovation. We are passionate about pushing boundaries, discovering new possibilities and constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.

We believe that through innovation, we can make a real difference in people’s lives. From groundbreaking research to cutting-edge technology, we strive to develop products that revolutionise the industry and provide unique formulas that enhance wellbeing.

Healthcare Startups Are Popping Up Everywhere – What Do You Do Differently?

Feel is built like a tech company, not a traditional supplement brand. We go deep into technology and a lot of data to create a seamless customer experience. Most consumer goods companies focus on selling products and discounts. We focus on building long-term relationships through ease of use.

Our team is obsessive about convenient software solutions. This means we can personalise products, optimise retention and keep customers engaged.

Technology allows us to give customers a better experience. With 30% of our team in tech, we personalise recommendations, automate services and make ordering simple. The same approach applies with our formulations. We go deep into the science of ingredients, just as we do with tech.

Explaining complex issues in a simple way is our superpower. That’s how we build trust; by making sure customers feel informed, not confused.

We also place great value on being open and honest. Every ingredient we use is backed by science and we share that research with customers. We don’t make wild claims and we make sure people understand exactly what they’re getting.

Beauty-from-within is a fast-growing, but often overlooked as a category. It’s not just a trend, it’s a real industry and one we’re disrupting.

Women’s health and wellness, in particular, has been underserved for years. We’re changing that.

With People Spending More Time Than Ever Behind Their Desks, Is Health More Important Than Ever?

Absolutely. I’d say health is more important now than it’s ever been. It’s not just the fact that many of us are sitting behind desks for hours a day; it’s the combination of that sedentary lifestyle with the pace of modern life. We’re constantly on the go, juggling work, social commitments, digital distractions and trying to do it all while feeling energised and well.

That’s a lot of pressure on the body and mind.

And on top of that, we’re being hit with a constant stream of health advice on social media but so much of it is misleading, oversimplified or just unrealistic. From extreme diets to quick fixes, it’s easy to feel confused or even discouraged. Real health gets lost in the noise.

That’s actually one of the reasons we started Feel: to simplify health. We want to cut through the confusion and make it easy for people to find high-quality, effective products that actually support their goals. Whether it’s energy, gut health, immunity, or beauty from within, our mission is to take the guesswork out of wellness and help people feel their best in a way that fits into real life.

So yes, in this fast-paced, screen-heavy and information-saturated world, looking after your health isn’t just important, it’s essential. And we’re here to make that journey simpler.

We Hear A Lot About Gut Health In Particular. Why Does That Matter For Busy Professionals?

Taking care of your gut is one of the most underrated ways to stay well in today’s fast-paced world; especially if you’re working full time and living in a city.

Your gut isn’t just about digestion. It’s closely linked to your energy, focus, mood, immune system, even your skin. And the reality is, modern city life is tough on it. You’re constantly dealing with stress, irregular meals, processed food, lack of sleep and exposure to pollution, all of which can throw your gut microbiome off balance.

For example, when your gut’s not functioning well, you might feel bloated, tired, foggy or anxious which can really affect your productivity and overall wellbeing. On the flip side, when your gut is in a good place, you feel more energised, emotionally balanced and resilient. And that’s so important when you’re juggling a busy workday, long commutes, and a packed social life.

Also, most people don’t realise that over 90% of serotonin, your feel-good hormone is produced in the gut. So if you’re constantly stressed and running on empty, your gut takes the hit and so does your mood. Supporting your gut health helps you stay steady, focused and energised, even when life is anything but.

Who Is Feel Aimed At?

Feel creates supplements for people who want to take control of their health journey, doing so with clarity and confidence, knowing that they will not only improve their wellbeing but also minimise their impact on the environment.

What Has Been The Biggest Hurdle To Overcome When Starting A Company Selling Health Products?

There have been several significant hurdles throughout our journey to where we are today, having sold two million Feel products globally, but one daily challenge is overcoming people’s desire for a quick solution to problems, when in fact best and lasting results are achieved with patience, with significant results being noticed after 90 days.

For example, while you will notice changes to your overall wellbeing within the first month, clinical testing has shown that the specific blend found in Feel Pro Metabolic has positive results at three months and at one year your gut and overall digestion should be in a happy and healthy place!

What Has Been Your Biggest Achievement To Date With Feel? What’s Next For You?

Our biggest achievement came in the early days, when we saw a major gap in the market, recognising that most supplements were full of fillers, outdated formulas and vague claims. We wanted to change that by creating a brand that is 100% science-first.

But it wasn’t plain sailing and at one point, I was close to losing everything, taking on loans and delaying tax payments to keep the dream alive. I was saved at the last moment when a VC investment came through the day before my dreams almost slipped through my fingers.

The biggest lesson has been resilience. When you have limited money, every decision matters. I had to be resourceful, learning digital marketing, SEO and branding on my own. I also realised that building a strong network is just as important as having cash. Today, I make decisions based on data, stay flexible and focus on solving real problems, just like I did in the early days.

Moving forward, AI will help us personalise customer journeys even more.

We’ll be able to predict what people need before they even realise it, automate support, and refine our product recommendations. It will also improve inventory management and help us develop new products based on emerging health trends. Just like we innovate in supplements, we’re pushing the boundaries in AI. It’s not just about improving operations, it’s about redefining how wellness works.

To this day, everything we do is research-backed, from the ingredients we use to the way we formulate our products. We don’t just follow industry trends: we innovate.

If we’re pushing boundaries with tech, we’re doing the same with our supplements. Innovation in both tech and ingredients is in our DNA, and that’s why Feel is different.

How Can We Find You?

Feel is in six global markets, having recently launched in the UAE, and you can find us at wearefeel.com