A University of Edinburgh spinout has secured a £1.2 million funding package to advance its real-time hormone monitoring technology.
Kahu SiliconBio, which was incorporated in 2025, has been awarded the capital by the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D) to adapt its technology for women’s health applications.
The business uses a combination of engineered biology and silicon chip technology, wiring live bacteria directly into chips to translate biological responses into measurable electronic signals.
The prototype is designed to continuously track hormone levels throughout the day to support research into conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
The funding forms part of the €40m SPRIND Continuous Hormone Monitoring Challenge, a European initiative aiming to develop biosensors capable of measuring multiple hormones over seven days.
Traditional hormone tests typically provide a single measurement at one point in time, limiting the ability to track fluctuations related to sleep, stress, nutrition, and the menstrual cycle.
The technology is being commercialised from research conducted at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Engineering Biology, following earlier work backed by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).
Dr James Flewellen, co-founder and chief executive of K?hu SiliconBio, said: “Hormones play a fundamental role in health, but we still have limited visibility into how they change throughout our lives and how those fluctuations relate to disease.
“This funding will help us take an important step towards creating a new type of biological sensor that could give both researchers and patients a much deeper understanding of hormone patterns and their impact on women’s health.”
The company has previously secured support from Scottish Enterprise, Innovate UK, Silicon Catalyst UK, and the Roslin Institute Campus Innovation Account.
Dr Liz Fletcher, impact director and deputy chief executive at IBioIC, added: “Kahu SiliconBio is a strong example of how research-driven innovation can evolve into technology with the potential to address real-world challenges.
“The company’s progress demonstrates the value of collaboration between academia, industry and innovation organisations.”
