Boston-based startup Nix Biosensors is here to hydrate.
Dehydration is something of a national plague. In a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, it was estimated that almost one-third of U.S. adults are inadequately hydrated.
Dehydration can lead to dizziness, low blood pressure, and muscle weakness. For athletes, who are sweating and losing water faster, these symptoms are exacerbated. Left unchecked, they can lead to heatstroke and unconsciousness.
To address the issue, Nix is developing a disposable biosensor that attaches to the skin and monitors dehydration through sweat rate, electrolyte loss, body temperature and more. Paired to the sensor via Bluetooth is a small electronic device with a battery and display, allowing the biosensor’s user to get data about their hydration level in real time. If the device is within range of a smartphone, watch, or tablet, this data can be transmitted, showing a coach or supervisor how dehydration levels change. Nix’s biosensor can also compare an individual’s data with that of their team, platoon, or the general population.
Nix also provides predictive analysis based on individual and environmental circumstances.
“So our predictive model, if we have your age, gender, body mass index, can say to you, say when you go run the Denver marathon next week, you’re going to need 14 ounces of Gatorade per hour, or whatever the case may be,” said Meridith Unger, CEO and founder of Nix. “We have a whole range of analytics we think are really powerful.”
Here are the basics of dehydration. As you sweat, your blood volume gets smaller. With less blood to go around your body, your circulation to non-critical areas of the body is reduced. If you’ve ever felt your hands go numb while running, you’re familiar with this feeling: Areas like the feet, stomach, intestines, and kidneys have less circulation when you’re dehydrated. This can lead to muscle fatigue and, worse, organ failure.
Personally, Unger was very familiar with the perils of dehydration. As a college basketball player-turned runner, Unger has completed nine marathons over the past six years.
“Dehydration’s been shown not only to have physical performance impairments, but cognitive impairments and mood impairments, and it’s something we had absolutely no way to measure,” said Unger. ”It affects everyone from youth soccer players to professional football players, military laborers, which we define as anything from firefighting, construction working, or mining, to elders.”
Nix is currently raising seed funding and has raised just under $2 million in total funding. Right now, the plan is to offer a monthly auto-refill subscription plan costing $20 a month for four disposable patches. The electronic component will be priced separately.
Nix is also conducting a pilot program, with an official launch planned for next year. Its data science practice is its core value, and Unger is pleased with how quickly that side of the company has been growing.
“I have a very strong bias that the right way to start a company is to understand the problem in as much nuance and detail as you can, and then go out and engineer the solution to it,” said Unger.
Correction: "C-Series" funding changed to "seed" funding.
