Biolinq Raises $58M for Color-Coded Wearable Glucose Sensor
The “barely there” wearable touts a color-changing interface for quick glucose insights without the need for a secondary device
Health tech companies zeroing in on metabolic health advancements continue to score investors as they look to make it easier than ever for consumers to assess metabolic insights.
Biolinq, a wearable biosensor maker, just closed a $58 million financing round that will support its clinical trial this year and could propel its intradermal glucose sensor closer to eventual FDA approval. For now, Biolinq’s continuous glucose sensor is purely in investigational device mode and hasn’t yet been cleared or approved by the FDA.
The San Diego-based health tech startup has developed an impressive wearable device for the upper arm, which uses tiny electrochemical sensors to measure glucose levels just beneath the skin’s surface, which Biolinq says is 20 times more shallow than traditional glucose monitors.
While other biosensor wearables require a secondary device to review a reading, a simple glance at Biolinq’s futuristic-looking interface can reveal real-time glucose insights based on its color.
“Our technology approach enables access to a coveted, metabolically active compartment of the skin for biosensing without the use of introducer needles or bleeding,” said Rich Yang, Biolinq CEO.
In an interview last year with BrightInsight, Yang shared that the visual aspect of the device was intended to engage users with diabetes, using its changing colors in order to support sustainable behavior change.
The funding round was led by Alpha Wave Global and also included participation from Niterra’s corporate venture capital fund jointly operated with Pegasus Tech Ventures and existing investors RiverVest Venture Partners, AXA IM Alts, Global Health Investment Corporation, Aphelion Capital, Senvest Management, Features Capital and Taisho Pharmaceutical.
Glucose Monitors Emerge
The metabolic health tech space has been heating up. The FDA recently cleared the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System as the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM) available without a subscription. The device can be purchased online this summer.
Ultrahuman, with a CGM in its suite of health-improvement devices, recently secured $35 million to expand its manufacturing facility and ramp up production of its wearables, such as a habit-tracking ring and an upcoming home health device.
Smart ring maker Oura has also pushed into the glucose arena, partnering with CGM platforms Veri, Supersapiens and January AI to provide insights into sleep and glucose biomarkers.
