Metabolic Fitness Company Ultrahuman Raises $17.5M
Ultrahuman, a metabolic fitness platform, raised $17.5M in Series B funding.
The round included participation from Alpha Wave Incubation, Steadview Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, and Utsav Somani’s iSeed fund, in addition to a number of prominent angel investors.
Founded in 2019, Ultrahuman initially focused on digital health and fitness content. Turning its attention to glucose monitoring, the company recently introduced a wearable device for health optimization.
Part Man, Part Machine
In June, the company launched its wearable glucose monitor and accompanying app, dubbed “Ultrahuman Cyborg.”
Tracking blood sugar in real time, users are able to fine-tune their exercise and nutrition habits, nudging users toward healthy behaviors. The company has more than 1,000 people on a waitlist that’s growing 60% week-over-week. Armed with new capital, Ultrahuman aims to improve its biomarker technology.
Expanding internationally, and moving beyond fitness, Ultrahuman hopes to positively impact the growing metabolic health crisis.
The Business of Blood Sugar
A product of poor nutrition and sedentary habits, Americans face a metabolic health crisis.
- 40% of US adults are obese, and 100M Americans have diabetes/prediabetes.
- Diabetes-related medical costs and productivity loss will exceed $600B by 2030.
Offering a potential solution, startups and investors are all-in on continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
- Levels raised a $12M seed round in fall 2020.
- Supersapiens announced $13.5M in April 2021.
- January AI secured $8.8M ($20M total) in February 2021.
- Veri closed a $4M seed round in June 2021.
The big picture: As we detailed in Issue No. 142, The Business of Glucose Monitoring, CGMs are more accessible than ever and poised to take off:
“CGMs promise solutions that could disrupt personalized health ($493B), nutrition ($16B), and even sports performance ($12B). Experts predict a “watershed” moment for CGMs this year as metabolic health startups expand beyond diabetes.
Looking ahead: Diabetic or not, glucose monitoring could unlock personalized insights for a wider market.
