The final chapter is closing for Eccrine Systems, a once-promising Cincinnati startup that quietly folded in 2020.
On Wednesday, Cambridge, Mass.-based Epicore Biosystems announced its acquisition of Eccrine's assets and intellectual property. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Eccrine’s patent portfolio focused on the innovation and development of advanced sweat sensing technologies and biosensors. Its original idea was based on the fact that sweat carries the same biomarkers collected from blood, urine and saliva but is less invasive — no needles, cups or swabs needed.
Spun out from Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Epicore's team has developed a patch that can offer real-time analysis of sweat, as well as other physiological biomarkers. The company recently completed a $10 million Series A funding round.
Former Eccrine CEO Gavi Begtrup, during an interview with the Courier leading up to his 2021 Cincinnati mayoral campaign, said the company was a victim of the pandemic, which limited access to venture capital.
Eccrine grew aggressively, employing as many as 50, and consistently ranked as one of the top local startups to watch. Uptown-based CincyTech was among its lead investors. The startup also received several contracts from the U.S. Air Force.
“We ran out of room to maneuver,” Begtrup previously said. “We were trying to hit a home run.”
The sale of Eccrine's assets was first announced in January, with auction set to give the winner all of the company's portfolio. Company officials previously said Eccrine owned or exclusively controlled more than 100 issued and filed patents
