Next-gen health and wellness is an apt description of MNLY. Luke Hartelust launched the platform in 2021, pronouncing it “manly,” and then pivoted twice while remaining focused on modern care for men.
The current version combines AI with home-based testing, diagnoses, and nutrition. Customers pay an upfront fee and a monthly subscription afterward.
In our recent conversation, Luke shared the company’s origins, growth, mistakes, and more. The entire audio of that discussion is embedded below. The transcript is condensed and edited for clarity.
Eric Bandholz: Tell us about your work.
Luke Hartelust: I’m the founder and CEO of MNLY, a men’s health and wellness platform. We use at-home diagnostics, AI, and advanced tech to create custom supplement, lifestyle, and nutrition solutions.
My background is in fitness franchising. I led multiple locations across Southern California and worked closely with male entrepreneurs and executives. That experience revealed gaps in men’s healthcare, particularly in the lack of proactive, preventative approaches.
Telehealth has improved access to care, but the model has flaws. Most providers have long waitlists — often up to 90 days for lab results and treatment plans due to backlogged consultations.
At MNLY, we streamlined the process. We removed the practitioner bottleneck and built a scientific advisory board to train a complex AI model. The result is an automated analysis and quick, personalized health recommendations, going from signup to actionable results much faster than traditional telehealth providers.
Bandholz: Walk me through the customer journey.
Hartelust: Customers start by purchasing our at-home blood sample kit — a simple finger prick using dried blood spot sampling, eliminating the friction of in-person visits. Once received, our partner lab processes samples within hours.
While awaiting results, users complete an 86-question health assessment. It focuses on seven areas: concentration, confidence, stamina, mood, sleep, libido, and recovery.
We combine lab and assessment data — roughly 100 data points per user — to generate a clean, easy-to-understand health dashboard. It explains results and provides reference ranges, visuals, and comparison metrics. An overall health score benchmarks the data.
Next, our AI builds a personalized health plan, including nutrition suggestions based on biomarkers and lifestyle hacks such as breathwork and even testicular cooling for hormone support.
Finally, we formulate a custom dietary supplement. Based on the user’s data, our AI prescribes specific nutrients and doses. We then manufacture the supplement and ship every 30 days. It’s fully automated.
Bandholz: What does it cost customers?
Hartelust: The initial lab kit is $199. Supplements are $249 per month.
We recommend retesting with new blood samples every three to five months. Each time new bloodwork is submitted, our system updates all biomarkers, adjusts supplement dosages, and revises the health plan. Users experience clear visual progress, including changes to their overall health score.
We’ve just completed our first year in business. It’s our third iteration under the MNLY brand. We launched in 2021 as a nutritional subscription box provider, with two attempts.
A year ago, with this version, we didn’t prioritize retention. Our small team focused on product development, and we lacked an automated customer journey to guide and remind users about retesting. We started those reminders 90 days ago.
From an ecommerce perspective, not building that journey sooner was one of our biggest missteps. Many customers experienced strong results in the first six weeks — improved libido, mood, sleep, recovery, and focus — but when those effects plateaued, some dropped off around the five- or six-month mark. Even though biological improvements continued, users weren’t always aware without updated data. That’s why consistent testing and communication are now central to our retention strategy.
Bandholz: What’s your growth strategy?
Hartelust: As a startup raising capital in a tough market, I needed a strategic partner to expand our reach. I secured a deal last year with Hyrox, an indoor fitness competition, as its exclusive U.S. men’s health partner. I landed the deal with just a minimal viable product and a pitch deck, right before Hydrox’s U.S. expansion took off.
The company’s events grew in a year from 2,000 athletes to 14,000, and its audience — 50,000 social followers, 30,000 email subscribers, and 200 gym partners — aligned perfectly with our brand. We paid for the sponsorship, but it gave us massive exposure, credibility, and direct access to our core demographic.
We could have taken out, say, $100,000 in Meta Ads. That same $100,000 in a strategic Hyrox sponsorship gets us brand equity, athletes, investors, and a much lower acquisition cost — around $200 per customer, far better than we could achieve with ads alone.
Bandholz: How do you convert Hyrox athletes?
Hartelust: A presence on-site at the competitions is our most effective strategy. We recently wrapped an eight-month national tour where we set up our brand installation inside each venue. Our core leadership team was there to bring deep product knowledge, passion, and real connection.
The sponsorship provided us with access to email lists and social media audiences. Before the competition, we emailed attendees with offers, a discount code, and booth details. We reminded them of the promotion during the event and shared recaps after. We encouraged the participants to show the code at the booth for a lower rate.
Bandholz: How did you raise the capital to fund such a complex launch?
Hartelust: I spent the first six years of my career building wellness and fitness studios and nurturing strategic relationships. When we sold the company in 2021 for several million dollars, I reinvested some capital to start MNLY. But, again, before our current model, MNLY failed twice as a subscription box concept. I lost a lot on those early versions before pivoting to what we have now.
Launching this model required more than just personal funds, so I began raising a true pre-seed round about 18 months ago. I had raised capital before, but never for a startup. I tapped every possible connection — friends, family, clients — and hired a virtual assistant for cold outreach. One of our venture capital partners shared a valuable investor database. I ended up doing roughly 250 pitches and raised just under $800,000.
This round focused on micro angels rather than traditional VCs. Many brands rely heavily on Meta ads and lack a real connection. We leveraged our Hyrox community and offered equity to athlete ambassadors, which provided us with additional operational capital. That blend of brand, relationships, and community has fueled our growth.
Bandholz: Where can people support you?
Hartelust: Our website is getMNLY.com. We’re @getMNLY on Instagram and Facebook. I’m on LinkedIn.