Startups are transforming diabetes management. Among their backers are: Johnson & Johnson Innovation, GE Ventures, and Samsung Ventures.
Diabetes and the precursor condition known as prediabetes are chronic illnesses that are estimated to cost the US alone more than $300B, according to the American Diabetes Association.
While diabetes is not yet curable, it’s a condition that can be managed through lifestyle changes and monitoring. An especially significant milestone occurred earlier this year with Medicare covering reimbursement for diabetes-prevention programs in older patients after their efficacy was proven. As more emphasis is put on preventive medicine in the US and elsewhere, more startups have emerged to help diabetics manage their disease.
Some companies are going through a more software-focused route, such as Glooko and Omada, others are trying to develop new products like inhaled insulin and artificial organs in order to make life easier for people afflicted. Below are 11 companies working in the diabetes space that have raised since 2015, arranged in alphabetical order. Among their backers are corporate venture and innovation groups such as Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Samsung Ventures, and GE Ventures.
| Company | Company Description | Total Disclosed Funding | Select Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-O2 Technologies | Beta-O2 is developing the ßAir Bio-artificial pancreas, intended to cure Type 1 diabetes | $1M | Aurum Ventures, Pitango Venture Capital, Sherpa InnoVentures |
| Dance Biopharm | Dance Biopharm is focused on the development of inhaled insulin products to treat diabetes patients worldwide | $19.63M | Undisclosed Investors |
| DreaMed Diabetes | DreaMed Diabetes uses machine learning to determine the most efficient intensive insulin therapy for diabetics | $8.7M | Medtronic, Roman Abramovich, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust |
| Elcelyx Therapeutics | Elcelyx Therapeutics is developing therapeutics that deal with the release of hormones that play an important role in glucose regulation | $89.9M | Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Morgenthaler Ventures, Sailing Capital |
| Glooko | Glooko is a management solution which uses mobile and web dashboards to help people and providers monitor glucose readings, food intake, and other diabetes-related information | $28M | Canaan Partners, Samsung Ventures, Social Capital |
| Omada Health | Omada Health is a digital behavioral medicine company that uses a curriculum, coaching, and support groups to manage the behavior of patients with diabetes | $77.5M | Andreessen Horowitz, GE Ventures, Humana Ventures |
| One Drop | One Drop uses a combination of a meter, phone, and data science to help people log daily activities and understand how they impact glucose levels | $8M | BoxGroup, Neu Venture Capital, RRE Ventures |
| Sano | Sano is a stealthy company making non-invasive glucose-monitoring solutions | $10.3M | Felicis Ventures, Floodgate, Intel Capital |
| Semma Therapeutics | Semma Therapeutics is developing a way to generate functional, insuling producing beta cells without immunosuppresion, creating new therapies for Type 1 Diabetes | $44M | ARCH Venture Partners, F-Prime Capital, MPM Capital |
| Sweetch Health | Sweetch identifies “pre-diabetic” patients and uses behavioral analytics to understand user habits and create a list of personal recommendations to maintain health. | $3.5M | LionBird, OurCrowd.com, Pontifax |
| WellDoc | WellDoc is a chronic disease-management solution that analyzes patient data, sends analytics to the patient’s healthcare team, and provides content and support to the patient about their condition | $65M | Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Samsung Ventures |
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