Blood pressure tech is rising.
What’s happening: Aktiia, maker of cuffless blood pressure monitoring tech, raised $42M in an oversubscribed Series B round.
Rebranding as Hilo, the Swiss company will scale its “blood pressure intelligence” to the US this year, following expected FDA approval.
Good sense. Hilo’s CALFREE technology uses optical sensors in smartwatches and phone cameras to accurately measure blood pressure and integrate with care management.
CE-approved as a class-IIa medical device, it has sold 120K+ devices across 40 countries, while partnering with research institutions on clinical trials.
With $100M raised to date, its next chapter will focus on bringing continuous blood pressure monitoring into holistic care.
Under Pressure
Affecting 1.5B worldwide, hypertension is responsible for 12.8% of global deaths annually. Seeking to shift heart care from reactive to preventative, tech makers are circling.
- Huawei unveiled its D2 Watch combining miniaturized cuff tech with fitness features.
- Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 launched with BP but requires cuff recalibration every month.
- Korea’s Sky Labs tapped category lead OMRON to debut the first BP-sensing smart ring.
Meanwhile, despite years of false rumors, insiders believe Apple Watch Series 11 and Watch Ultra 3 will come equipped. In the ballpark, Oura measures arterial stiffness, and WHOOP partnered with blood pressure expert Withings.
Looking ahead: For Hilo, already having validated cuff-free technology in its pocket makes it both a serious contender and integration target.
