The purpose of the proton device is to help those with kidney disease and reduce the risk of heart failure

People with chronic kidney disease or at risk of heart failure are more affected by potassium imbalance in the body. These can even be life-threatening. While wearable glucose monitors are now commonplace and have changed the lives of diabetics, potassium monitoring is still in its infancy because it is difficult to do. Now startups are emerging to solve the problem.

Proton exploration is a Canadian-based startup developing a continuous potassium monitoring product. It has now closed a $6.95 million Seed funding round led by SOSV in the Bay Area. Clinical trials of the product, which will be launched in 2025, are ongoing.

Proton is developing a small device that will be placed just under the skin to monitor potassium levels. It can link to a smartphone app so patients can monitor their potassium levels based on lifestyle choices such as diet or medication and receive notifications when levels fall out of safe ranges.

A clinician’s dashboard will provide a view of a patient’s potassium trends, and care teams will be able to use the data to fine-tune treatments. Potassium testing in the clinic will be drastically reduced, saving a lot of time and money.

The company was founded by the CEO Sahan Ranamukhaarachchi (in Vancouver, Canada) and CSO Victor Cadarso (based in Melbourne).

Both founded the startup 10 years ago after working on wearable biosensors as researchers in Switzerland. Ranamukhaarachchi went on to found a skin-based drug delivery startup (Microdermics), while Cadarso became a professor of micro- and nanosensors at Monash University in Melbourne. Therefore, Proton has a commercial-oriented headquarters in Canada and a wholly R&D-oriented subsidiary in Melbourne, Australia.

Ranamukhaarachchi told TechCrunch that the team conducted more than 100 in-depth interviews with care teams to research their product: “These highlighted the devastating consequences of ‘flying blindness’ when managing potassium levels, as delays in monitoring often lead to avoidable hospitalizations, treatments suspension or even sudden cardiac death,” he said.

He explained that patients talk about a “constant fear of potassium imbalance, eating a single banana or missing a blood test” that could affect their health or even put their lives at risk.

The problem is clearly very real. About 10% of the world’s population is affected chronic kidney disease and millions of people die each year due to lack of access to affordable treatment.

Proton competes with a number of other emerging firms in the sector.

AliveCor indirectly estimates potassium levels by detecting cardiac activity ($154.3 million raised to date). Alio ($46 million raised) monitors potassium in dialysis patients. Renalize 1 million euros outside of Spain measures potassium through blood samples (raised). Of course, there are several others.

However, Proton’s founders claim that its solution will be more scalable: “No other technology currently offers this level of usability, accuracy and clinical impact,” said Ranamukhaarachchi.

Mohan S. lyer, General Partner of SOSV, said in a statement: “We are proud to be the first institutional investor in Proton Intelligence… and are excited to continue to support them as they move toward clinical approval.”

Also investing in this Seed round are We Venture Capital, Tenmile, LongeVC, 15th Rock, Exor and Trampolin Venture Partners.