This supplement company pulled in $10.5 million in venture capital by selling turmeric and lichen chews instead of vitamin pills

• The supplement maker Gem has raised $10.5 million in venture funding.
• It pitches itself partly as a preventive move for people concerned about high healthcare costs.
• Founder Sara Cullen sees an opportunity by targeting age groups and expanding at retailers.

There’s more money going into supplements, diet advice, and products aimed at preventing health problems and big healthcare bills.

Gem, which makes “whole-food bites” meant to replace of traditional supplement pills, raised $10.5 million in a seed-funding round, the company announced Tuesday.

It raised its latest round in part by pitching its products as a preventive measure for consumers worried that their diets could lead to medical problems and higher costs associated with healthcare.