A former pharmaceutical executive, who couldn’t find answers in conventional medicine when her own health collapsed, has built a six-figure functional medicine business – and says the experience taught her that “the future of healthcare is better diagnostics.”
Ayse Kocak spent years working in pharmaceutical development before her health deteriorated, leaving her exhausted, unable to sleep and struggling with digestion.
Despite her medical background, no medication was helping.
“Years in pharma gave me credibility but no answers when my own health collapsed,” the 41-year-old told Founder Insights.
“I was exhausted, couldn’t sleep and struggling with digestion.
“Then I discovered functional medicine testing.
“When I ran comprehensive diagnostics on myself, everything changed: I found mercury toxicity, nutrient deficiencies, gut dysbiosis.
“Within weeks of implementing a personalised protocol with targeted supplementation, dietary changes and stress management, my symptoms resolved.”
That revelation led Ayse to leave her pharmaceutical role and launch PAAR London Ltd six years ago.
The London-based functional medicine and longevity platform now generates between £500,000 and £1 million in annual revenue.
But the journey to get there wasn’t straightforward.
Ayse, who lives in London, said: “My background in pharma taught me how systems work, but also their limitations.
“Pills can manage disease, but they can’t restore vitality.
“I realised the real power lies in precision diagnostics and personalised lifestyle medicine: identifying each client’s unique imbalances – toxins, nutritional gaps, microbiome dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation – and designing targeted interventions that address causes, not just symptoms.”
PAAR conducts comprehensive diagnostics to uncover issues like mercury toxicity, gut dysbiosis, mineral imbalances and nervous system dysfunction, then designs personalised lifestyle protocols.
The business helps busy professionals, entrepreneurs, parents and athletes who feel “suboptimal despite seeming ‘fine’ on paper.”
Ayse’s first customers came from her personal and professional network – people who knew her pharmaceutical background and trusted her pivot into functional medicine.
“The turning point was when one early client saw dramatic improvements and started referring others,” she said.
“Word-of-mouth became my most powerful channel because the results were undeniable.”
But building the business meant learning to manage a lot of moving parts.
Ayse said: “The biggest hurdle was turning a compelling vision into an actual functioning business with almost no resources.
“In the early days, I was literally everything – CEO, office manager, practitioner, administrator, coordinator.
“I was answering emails at midnight, managing client bookings on spreadsheets, handling payments manually, preparing reports by hand.
“There were days when I’d move between high-level strategic decisions and basic operational tasks within the same hour.”
The breakthrough came when PAAR secured its first major wellness resort partnership with Kamalaya.
“That was the moment I realised the model could scale,” Ayse said.
“Before that, I was serving individual clients one by one, doing everything manually.
“But when a respected wellness partner validated the approach and wanted to integrate PAAR into their offerings, it changed everything.
“Suddenly we had credibility, access to a steady stream of health-conscious clients, and proof that precision diagnostics and personalised protocols weren’t just a nice idea – they were something established wellness brands wanted to offer.”
Now, Ayse describes her leadership style as “tough love.”
She said: “I care deeply about my team and clients, but I don’t sugarcoat.
“If something isn’t working, I’ll tell you directly.
“If you’re capable of better, I’ll push you.
“Not from cruelty, from conviction that you can do better and that you deserve honest feedback, not comfortable lies.”
Looking ahead, Ayse’s mission is to democratise longevity – making functional medicine and precision diagnostics accessible to everyone, not just the elite.
“We’re building scalable systems, leveraging technology, and partnering strategically so that comprehensive health optimisation is no longer a luxury but a reality for anyone committed to their long-term vitality,” she said.
