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Richmond health-tech startup lands $13M follow-on Navy contract


A Richmond startup that develops wearable health monitors for troops has landed a follow-on contract from the Navy.
Jensen Werley

NIRSense Inc., a Richmond health-tech company that develops wearable monitors, said Tuesday it had received a $13 million follow-on contract from the U.S. Navy.

Under the deal, NIRSense is building fieldable physiology monitors to support troop safety, performance and medical care in both training and operations. The company, led by CEO Casey Boutwell, has been working with the Department of Defense since 2019.

The company says its tools can measure oxygenation changes in the body at a level 10 times deeper than pulse oximetry. They can also measure the electrophysiological activity of muscles and the brain.

The contract announced Tuesday is a continuation funded by the Naval Medical Research Command-Naval Advanced Medical Development through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.

NIRSense said it is actively hiring for design, engineering and management talent for its offices in Virginia and North Carolina.


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