Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the healthcare sector. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups developing nephrology solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map: 5 Top Nephrology Solutions
The 5 healthcare startups you will explore below are chosen based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. This analysis is based on the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 1.3 million startups & scaleups globally.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 startups & scaleups developing nephrology solutions our Innovation Researchers curated for this report. Moreover, you get insights into regions that observe a high startup activity and the global geographic distribution of the 481 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Nephrogen develops Quantitative Biomarker Detection Device
Kidney transplantation requires regular medical checkups and interventions to detect early signs of chronic transplant rejection or chronic allograft vasculopathy (CAV). However, conventional tests like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) take more time to provide results and require patients to travel every time for the test. This prolongs the initiation of treatment and manual assays are also prone to errors and contamination. On the other hand, quantitative biomarker-based tests are relatively more reliable. Portable devices that perform accurate screening considerably reduce waiting time and enable early intervention to save patients’ lives.
Nephrogen is a US-based startup that develops gene editing-based therapeutic solutions for kidney diseases. The startup offers ex vivo and in vitro editing by perfusing a patient’s kidney with an editing solution, after which, the kidney is put back into the patient. The startup’s in vivo localized delivery directly injects editing solutions into the kidney. The startup also provides in vivo systemic delivery, where the therapeutic candidate is injected through the bloodstream or ingested orally, which then reaches the target nephrons in the kidney. In addition, Nephrogen develops a drug discovery platform that utilizes high-throughput screening to find small molecule drugs for treating kidney diseases.
Purenum produces Adhesives for Kidney Stone Removal
Renal calculi, or kidney stones, represent deposits of crystal masses found in kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. These stones are usually removed using different methods like lithotripsy, surgery, and ureteroscopy. Often, small fragments of stones that are less than 5 mm, known as clinically insignificant residual fragments (CIRFs), are left in the urinary tract. These fragments mostly remain asymptomatic but pose a risk of stone growth and recurrence. A medical-grade adhesive that binds to these minute fragments helps in their removal.
German startup Purenum produces a hydrogel system for removing kidney stone fragments. The startup’s mediNiK system consists of a biological hydrogel, which embeds the residual stones. The embedded stones are then removed by means of gripping methods used in flexible ureteroscopy. Further, the biocompatible gel-based system is non-invasive and non-cytotoxic. It aids in the effective removal of the residual kidney stones or calculus, without causing bleeding or pain.
Serenno Medical builds a Urine Output (UO) Monitor
Accurate measurement of urine output (UO) is the standard and clinically accepted method for monitoring changes in kidney function. In hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), medical staff measures the UO levels manually at regular time intervals. This makes it difficult to assess acute changes in urinary flow, which could result in missing the signs for acute renal injury (ARI). Startups develop devices that monitor the UO in real-time, as well as diagnose and prevent ARI disease progression.
Serenno Medical an Israeli startup building a Urine-Output (UO) Measuring Device for intensive care units (ICU). The device measures urine output and intra-abdominal pressure to detect acute renal injury (ARI). The device is also automatic and hands-free, providing medical staff with a convenient and accurate UO measurement tool. The solution is cost-effective, with a lower workload and improved patient safety. The startup’s device also ensures interoperability with electronic medical data (EMR). The device finds use cases in mobile, telehealth, remote, quarantine, and home-based ICUs.
Renalyse creates Diagnostic Kits for Chronic Kidney Diseases
The diagnosis of chronic kidney disease traditionally requires blood and urine tests in clinical labs. Further, invasive diagnostic methods, such as a biopsy of renal tissues, are also common in disease screening. A point-of-care, affordable, and reusable tests for renal disease diagnosis reduces total costs and provides rapid monitoring of functional indicators. To this end, HealthTech startups develop home-based screening tests to decrease hospital waiting times and aid in effective disease management.
Spanish startup Renalyse develops sensor-based point-of-care diagnostic solutions for chronic kidney diseases. The device has two parts: a Rena-reader and cartridges. The device is reusable for a longer time period while the cartridges are only single-use. Further, the cartridge is a paper-based creatinine and potassium potentiometric sensor solution. This facilitates rapid monitoring of kidney function indicators and the management of chronic kidney disease from home.
ClouthCath provides Platform for Catheter-based Treatments
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergo regular peritoneal dialysis to manage their condition. Peritoneal dialysis currently utilizes continuous ambulatory processes or automated solutions. A catheter-based dialysis results in the removal of wastes and fluids from the patient’s body. Then, the analysis of fluids provides vital data of compounds and assists in the prognosis of associated health risks.
US-based startup CloudCath provides sensor-enabled devices and digital platforms to help end-stage renal disease patients. The solution offers peritoneal dialysis patients a remote monitoring platform to detect early signs of risk. Further, real-time monitoring enables patients to undergo home-based treatment and minimizes the need for hospitalization. The device evaluates the draining fluid of catheter-based treatments to extract valuable data and map a patient’s kidney health.
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