Edinburgh's Kāhu SiliconBio raises £1.2m for hormone-tracking sensor
What's the deal? Kāhu SiliconBioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Edinburgh spinout developing a new way to measure hormone levels, has raised £1.2m from the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-DDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →). The money will fund the company's next prototype as it adapts the technology for women's health applications.
What does it do? Founded in 2025 by scientists Dr James Flewellen and Prof Teuta Pilizota, the company is commercialising research from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Engineering Biology. Its system combines engineered biology with silicon chip technology.
Bioengineered bacteria respond to specific hormones, while electronic components translate those biological responses into measurable signals analysed instantly.
Why it matters: Unlike traditional hormone tests, the technology is designed to track levels throughout the day. That could show how hormones shift in response to sleep, stress, nutrition, and the menstrual cycle.
The company said capturing changes over time could support research into conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
What they said: "Hormones play a fundamental role in health, but we still have limited visibility into how they change throughout our lives and how those fluctuations relate to disease," said Flewellen, co-founder and chief executive.
The work builds on earlier research backed by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation CentreDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (IBioIC). "Kāhu SiliconBio is a strong example of how research-driven innovation can evolve into technology with the potential to address real-world challenges," said Dr Liz Fletcher, its impact director and deputy chief executive.
The signal: The round points to growing investor interest in women's health technology and continuous biological sensing — areas long underserved by conventional diagnostics that capture only single points in time.
Read more: Insider Media
