Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is claimed to affect 10% of the population and is the third fastest-growing cause of death worldwide. In Europe, it is reported that €140 billion is spent annually in treating CKD patients, which is more than that for diabetes, and cancer. Beyond financial impact, a CKD patient can spend 12 hours a week, or almost four weeks a year, undergoing dialysis. Also, they experience decreasing quality of life, with mobility and pain getting worse as the disease progresses.
Paris medtech Metyos mitigates this challenge as it works with the mission to relieve the burden of CKD patients and healthcare systems worldwide.
Now, Metyos just raised €2.3 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Cenitz with participation from KIMA Ventures (invested in Naboo and Kosmik), Advans Lab, and Bpifrance (invested in Gamestream and Planity) alongside doctors, leading health insurance angels, and business leaders from Implicity, Deepmind, and Nabla.
The funding will be used to further develop Metyos’ wearable technology, including progressing it through clinical trials ahead of FDA clearance. Metyos is currently seeking participants for clinical trials to further evaluate and refine its biowearable technology.
Wandercraft co-founder’s brainchild
Metyos was co-founded by Alexandre Boulanger, founder of the world’s first self-balanced exoskeleton, Wandercraft alongside biomedical engineer Dr. Olga Chashchina, a former McKinsey consultant and an MBA holder with expertise in biosensors.
Metyos’ technology offers continuous health monitoring, empowering patients and healthcare professionals to make informed, real-time decisions in a bid to relieve the billion-dollar burden of CKD on global healthcare systems and improve quality of life.
Biowearable sensors for CKD
Through its biowearable sensor and platform, doctors will use real-time readings of biomarkers linked to CKD to monitor a patient’s kidney function – from tracking the impact of diet and medication to spotting warning signs of renal failure and hyperkalemia.
It will let patients take control of their care, implement recommendations, and better understand their disease.
Also, these readings help create personalised, preventative treatment plans and spot early signs of kidney damage, giving patients a better quality of life, and saving the reactive treatment costs for the healthcare systems.
Alexandre Boulanger, CEO and Co-founder of Metyos said: “Our mission at Metyos is to move healthcare away from reactive care towards proactive disease management. A healthcare future where millions of CKD patients are empowered to take control of their health, and where they can access life-saving early detection and personalised interventions. This funding, and the support and belief of the brilliant investors it brings with it, will help make this future a reality and help change the lives of so many patients and medical professionals worldwide.”
Frederic Picq at Cenitz said: “Our investment in Metyos was driven by its impressive founding team, a clear and growing market need, and the life-changing potential of its technology. Alex and Olga bring a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and technical expertise that is rare and invaluable in the medtech space. Their track record and passion for healthcare innovation are evident in the strides Metyos has already made. We see significant opportunity in Metyos not just because of its groundbreaking approach to CKD management, but because it represents the future of healthcare – a future where technology and the human experience come together to offer better, proactive care for all.”
