Workplace stress is a silent killer, costing US businesses over $300 billion annually, according to the American Institute of Stress. To combat this, Swiss health tech startup Nutrix has unveiled CortiSense, a wearable device that measures cortisol levels in saliva, providing a scientific approach to monitoring stress.

Cortisol levels vary throughout the day, making it essential to track them continuously. CortiSense, which recently won the CES Innovation Award 2025 in the Digital Health category, allows users to monitor their cortisol levels conveniently, without the need for clinic visits. This innovation has far-reaching implications for employers, who can now take proactive measures to reduce workplace stress and its associated costs.

Nutrix CEO Maria Hahn explained that cortisol is a hormone that controls many other hormones, playing a crucial role in both mental and metabolic health. This vision has attracted support from the Swiss innovation agency, Innosuisse, as well as private investment, with the startup raising $4 million to date, including a $2.5 million seed round co-led by Polish impact fund Simpact and Japan deep tech fund OIST-Lifetime Ventures.

The startup is now seeking to raise a large Series A round to fund its expansion, with the Mayo Clinic already on board after meeting the team at CES 2024. This partnership will enable Nutrix to open offices in Silicon Valley, marking a significant milestone in its US launch.

Nutrix's CortiSense is not the company's first foray into health tech. Its digital health platform, gSense, which includes continuous glucose monitoring, AI-powered dietary management, and telemedicine, has already been integrated with the public insurance system in Chile. The company has also launched operations in Mexico and Peru, demonstrating its ability to expand into new markets.

What sets Nutrix apart is its focus on targeting corporations rather than consumers. In countries like Chile, Mexico, and Peru, health screenings are part of an employer's obligation to ensure employee wellness, with the understanding that private health data remains private. This approach may raise eyebrows in the US, where employee data privacy is a sensitive topic, but Hahn is quick to clarify that the company will only receive aggregated data.

While some may view the utilitarian pitch around the economic costs of job stress as distasteful, it serves as a reminder to employers that mental health is, indeed, health. Cortisol's importance in women's health, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, is another area that Nutrix plans to investigate further, with Hahn citing it as a personal priority.

As Nutrix pushes forward with its US expansion, its innovative approach to tackling workplace stress could have a significant impact on the country's healthcare landscape. With CortiSense, the company is poised to revolutionize the way employers approach employee wellness, and its commitment to further research into cortisol's role in women's health could lead to breakthroughs in this underserved area.