Proton Intelligence, a Canada-based healthtech startup, has successfully closed a $6.95 million Seed financing round led by SOSV, a prominent venture capital firm in the Bay Area. This significant investment will propel the development of Proton's pioneering wearable potassium monitor, designed to transform the lives of individuals with chronic kidney disease and those at risk of heart failure.

The wearable device, slated for launch in 2025, will be inserted just below the skin to continuously monitor potassium levels. This innovative technology will connect with a smartphone app, enabling patients to track their potassium levels and receive notifications when their levels fall outside a safe range. This real-time monitoring will empower individuals to make informed lifestyle choices, such as adjusting their diet or medication, to prevent potentially life-threatening potassium imbalances.

A crucial aspect of Proton's solution is the clinician dashboard, which will provide a comprehensive view of a patient's potassium trends. This data-driven approach will enable care teams to fine-tune therapies, reducing the need for in-clinic potassium testing and resulting in significant time and cost savings.

Proton Intelligence was co-founded by CEO Sahan Ranamukhaarachchi and CSO Victor Cadarso, who met while working on wearable biosensors as researchers in Switzerland. Ranamukhaarachchi went on to found Microdermics, a skin-based drug delivery startup, while Cadarso became a professor in micro and nanosensors at Monash University in Melbourne. This unique blend of commercial and research expertise has positioned Proton Intelligence for success, with a commercial-focused HQ in Canada and a wholly-owned R&D-focused subsidiary in Melbourne, Australia.

Ranamukhaarachchi emphasized the devastating consequences of inadequate potassium monitoring, citing over 100 in-depth interviews with care teams. "Delays in monitoring often lead to preventable hospitalizations, stopping therapies, or even sudden cardiac death," he noted. Patients have expressed a constant fear of potassium imbalances, questioning whether eating a single banana or missing a blood test could affect their health or even put their lives at risk.

The significance of Proton's innovation cannot be overstated, as chronic kidney disease affects approximately 10% of the global population, resulting in millions of deaths annually due to lack of access to affordable treatment. Proton Intelligence is poised to make a substantial impact in this space, competing with other emerging firms such as AliveCor, Alio, and Renalyse.

While other companies are exploring potassium monitoring, Proton's founders assert that their solution will be more scalable, offering unparalleled usability, accuracy, and clinical impact. This confidence is echoed by Mohan S. Iyer, General Partner at SOSV, who stated, "We are proud to be the first institutional investor in Proton Intelligence… and we are excited to continue to support them as they move into clinical validation."

In addition to SOSV, other investors participating in this Seed round include We Venture Capital, Tenmile, LongeVC, 15th Rock, Exor, and Trampoline Venture Partners. With this substantial funding and strong investor support, Proton Intelligence is well-positioned to revolutionize the management of chronic kidney disease and heart failure prevention.