Liom Cracks “Holy Grail” of Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring and Secures USD >25m in Funding Kickstarting Its Series A

Liom, formerly known as Spiden, a pioneer in non-invasive biomarker monitoring aiming to develop the first non-invasive glucose monitoring wearable, is thrilled to announce significant technological milestones and a successful kick-off of its Series A.

PFÄFFIKON, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / December 3, 2024 / Liom has continued its technological progress: it is the first and only company to demonstrate accurate non-invasive glucose measurements without the need for invasive per-subject calibration using a needle. This puts Liom ahead of the deep-pocketed, established players in the wearable business, such as Apple, Samsung and Google, that so far were not able to share comparable results. Liom has repeatedly demonstrated this capability throughout 2024 in a number of internal and external studies, which ranged from 3-6 hours and were conducted on >60 subjects so far. In a recent third-party validation study (i.e., external and prospective), Liom’s proprietary benchtop system and AI algorithms demonstrated a MARD (Mean Absolute Relative Difference) of 14.5% without any per-subject calibration (publication pre-print available via: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.17.24312052). MARD is the percentage error to the reference measurement, which in this case is a catheter-derived venous measurement. The company’s light-& AI-only measurements show excellent agreement with reference blood glucose values for a wide range of glucose levels and time series. Using per-subject calibration, the MARD attained was even lower, at 7%. This performance is comparable to the first generation of needle-based CGMs, which after 10 years of optimization, have gradually reached the <10% MARD level. Currently, these devices, predominantly sold by the two medtech giants Abbott and Dexcom, dominate the strongly growing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) market of USD >10bn that is attempting expansion towards healthy consumers, despite requiring replacement of its needle-based technology every 10-14 days. Liom sees significant potential for further improvement of its performance in the near-term, enabled by its purely light- and AI-driven approach that allows for rapid iteration. Prof. Dr. Lutz Heinemann, Founder and former CEO of leading CRO Profil, comments on Liom’s recent progress: “The combination of Liom’s innovative approach, scientific depth, interdisciplinary team, and impressive results are unique. I look forward to Liom’s progress towards a product with confidence and optimism!”

On top of these achievements, Liom also made significant headway regarding the miniaturization of its technology into a wearable form factor. Liom’s miniaturization strategy is enabled by an innovative spectrometer design and a strong network of established suppliers in electronics and optics, which provides a clear pathway towards development of a wrist-worn product at cost and scale.

“These accomplishments reflect our strong track record of steadily and reliably making progress towards our goal of launching the ultimate wearable that monitors glucose non-invasively, integrated together with other health metrics”, says Leo Grünstein, Liom’s Founder & CEO. “We aim to help customers around the world take control of their health through non-invasive access to real-time biomarker data and actionable, evidence-based insights to improve their well-being and longevity.“

Liom has raised over USD 55m in equity funding to-date and employs a team of >80 FTE, most of whom are PhD scientists running Liom’s deep-tech lab and clinical trial operations. This traction in funding reflects strong support from its existing investors, Board members, and new investors. The company now kicked-off a USD 50-70m Series A, of which USD >25m have already been secured. This will allow Liom to create and test its wrist-worn prototype in all of life’s circumstances on 100+ people by end of 2025 and launch a pre-launch sales campaign in H1’26 where customers for the first time will be able to order Liom’s “ultimate wearable” which will be shipped to them maximum 12 months after, latest by mid-2027. A waitlist sign-up for its launch is already available on Liom’s website www.liom.com.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Popp, Professor of the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Jena & Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, adds: “The innovative approach taken by Liom represents a leap forward in non-invasive glucose sensing. By combining advanced spectroscopy techniques with machine learning, they are addressing one of the most pressing challenges in preventative health. Their interdisciplinary team’s expertise, coupled with promising clinical results demonstrated with their benchtop prototype, positions them at the forefront of this field. This technology has the potential to transform glucose monitoring and improve the quality of life for millions worldwide.”

About Liom

Founded in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Leo Grünstein, Liom (ex-Spiden) is a Swiss health tech startup with offices in Pfäffikon SZ (Switzerland) and San Francisco (USA) employing over 80 team members. The company is dedicated to revolutionizing preventative and personalized health monitoring through a novel wearable, that enlightens users with unparalleled real-time biophysical feedback. This empowers uses to make optimal lifestyle choices for improved health and well-being. Liom’s first product will be the world’s first non-invasive glucose monitoring wearable that offers a comprehensive view of metabolic health. This device integrates non-invasive glucose monitoring and other health metrics, such as heart rate and movement. The product is designed for consumers looking to optimize an active, healthy lifestyle, improve their habits, or mitigate the risk of developing health conditions. Liom’s ultimate vision is to expand its capabilities by measuring additional biomarkers, including macronutrients like lipids and proteins, as well as ketones, hydration, and lactate, leveraging its proprietary light- and AI-based technology. This will provide users with an even more comprehensive overview of their health and pave the way for even broader applications.

Contact Information

Leo Grünstein
Founder & CEO
press@liom.com

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