GraphWear is building a skin-surface, needle-free wearable that uses a thin slice of graphene to continuously monitor glucose from interstitial fluid. The sensor is roughly the size of an Apple Watch or can be deployed as an abdomen sticker; it uses graphene's electric field to attract glucose molecules, convert that interaction into an electrical signal, and transmit data via Bluetooth to a phone. The company was founded in 2015 by Rajatesh Gudibande and Saurabh Radhakrishnan, both with master's degrees in nanotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania. GraphWear completed a feasibility study on 40 patients with Type I and Type II diabetes comparing readings against venous blood draws; results have not been released but the company reports accuracy was "comparable" to traditional sensors. The team says it can manufacture graphene at scale, keeps the material "pristine," and has patented a method using polarized fluids as transistors that could enable detection of other biomolecules. GraphWear recently closed a $20.5M Series B to fund further validation, a pivotal trial and regulatory submission as it pursues commercialization of its graphene-based sensor. GraphWear builds a graphene-based sensor technology designed to provide biological information from sweat. The product was initially aimed at performance athletes but the company is pursuing medical use cases, including a needle-free glucose test. That glucose product is expected to reach market in three to four years pending necessary FDA clearances. The startup relocated from Philadelphia to San Francisco, a move the founders say was key to accessing long-term support and capital. GraphWear was part of the 2015 Dreamit Health cohort and the University City Science Center’s Digital Health Accelerator during its early development. The founders recount working long hours in shared housing and lab space to develop the technology. Financially, the company announced a $4.2 million Series A led by West Coast VCs to support its next phase. GraphWear Technologies is developing a skin-worn patch made of graphene that collects and analyzes sweat and communicates findings via a mobile app. The device can, for example, tell users when to drink water to help prevent muscle cramps. The company is initially focusing on athletes as its target customers and hopes to develop healthcare applications in the future. Cofounders Rajatesh Gudibande and Saurabh Radhakrishnan developed a patent-pending process that cuts roughly 13 steps from the production of usable graphene film. The team works out of Dreamit’s headquarters at 3401 Market St. and is part of the Science Center’s Digital Health Accelerator. Financially, GraphWear received $50,000 from the DHA and $50,000 from Dreamit Health in exchange for 8 percent equity.

Total raised

$25M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Oct 2021