The Proton device aims to help people with kidney disease and reduce the risk of heart failure
People with chronic kidney disease, or who are at risk of heart failure, are greatly affected by a potassium imbalance in the body. This can be life-threatening. Although wearable glucose monitors are now common and have transformed the lives of people with diabetes, potassium monitoring is still in its infancy because it is difficult to do. Now, startups are emerging to address this problem.
Proton intelligence is a Canadian-based startup developing a product for continuous potassium monitoring. It has now closed a $6.95 million seed funding round led by SOSV in the Bay Area. Clinical trials of the product are underway, and it is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
Proton is developing a small device that is inserted just under the skin to monitor potassium levels. This will be linked to a smartphone app so patients can monitor their potassium levels and get notifications if their levels fall outside a safe range, based on lifestyle choices, such as diet or medication.
The physician dashboard will provide an overview of a patient’s potassium trends, and care teams will be able to use the data to adjust treatments. In-clinic potassium tests will be significantly reduced, saving a lot of time and costs.
The company was founded by the CEO Sahan Ranamukharachchi (based in Vancouver, Canada) and CSO Victor Cadarso (based in Melbourne).
The two founded the startup after working on wearable biosensors as researchers in Switzerland 10 years ago. Ranamukarachchi went on to found a skin-based drug delivery startup (Microdermics), while Cadarso became a professor of micro- and nanosensors at Monash University in Melbourne. Therefore, Proton has a trade-focused headquarters in Canada and a wholly owned subsidiary focused on R&D in Melbourne, Australia.
Ranamukharachchi told TechCrunch that the team conducted more than 100 in-depth interviews with care teams to research their product: “These interviews highlighted the devastating consequences of ‘flying blind’ when managing potassium levels, as delays in monitoring often lead to preventable hospitalizations.” , or stopping treatments, or even sudden cardiac death,” he said.
He described how patients spoke of “the constant fear of a potassium imbalance, wondering whether eating one banana or not getting a blood test” could affect their health or even put their lives at risk.
Clearly the problem is very real. About 10% of the world’s population affected Due to chronic kidney disease, millions die every year because they cannot access affordable treatment.
Proton competes with a number of other startups in this sector.
LiveCor Estimates potassium levels indirectly by detecting cardiac activity ($154.3 million raised to date). Aliyu ($46 million raised) to perform potassium monitoring in dialysis patients. Reanalysis Outside Spain, potassium is measured using finger-prick (raised) blood samples worth one million euros. There are of course many others.
However, Proton’s founders claim that its solution will be more scalable: “No other technology currently offers this level of ease of use, accuracy and clinical impact,” Ranamukharachchi said.
In a statement, Mohan S. said: Lair, General Partner at SOSV: “We are proud to be the first institutional investor in Proton Intelligence… and are excited to continue to support them as they move into clinical validation.”
Also investing in this seed round are We Venture Capital, Tenmile, LongeVC, 15th Rock, Exor, and Trampoline Venture Partners.
