Edinburgh spin-out secures £1.2m to advance hormone monitoring platform
An Edinburgh biotechnology spin-out has secured £1.2m to develop a platform capable of monitoring hormone levels continuously, with the aim of supporting research into hormone-related conditions and improving future diagnosis and treatment.
Kāhu SiliconBio, which was founded in 2025 to commercialise research from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Engineering Biology, received the funding from the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D).
The investment will support development of the company's next-generation prototype as it adapts its technology for women's health applications.
Unlike conventional hormone tests, which provide measurements at a single point in time, Kāhu SiliconBio's platform is designed to monitor hormone fluctuations throughout the day, providing a more detailed picture of changes associated with sleep, stress, nutrition and the menstrual cycle.
The technology combines engineered biology with silicon electronics. Bioengineered bacteria are designed to respond to specific hormones, while integrated electronic components convert those biological responses into measurable signals for real-time analysis.
According to the company, continuous hormone monitoring could provide researchers with new insights into conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where limited access to detailed hormone data can make diagnosis and treatment more challenging.
Dr James Flewellen, co-founder and chief executive of Kāhu 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 sensing platform was originally developed to detect chemical compounds in liquids for applications beyond healthcare. The company says its adaptable design could also be applied to environmental monitoring, food and drink production and advanced manufacturing.
Kāhu SiliconBio builds on earlier research supported by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and has since secured backing 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, said the company demonstrated how engineering biology research could be translated into practical technologies.
"Kāhu SiliconBio is a strong example of how research-driven innovation can evolve into technology with the potential to address real-world challenges," she said.
"The company's progress demonstrates the value of collaboration between academia, industry and innovation organisations, and it's exciting to see its work gaining international recognition as it moves towards new healthcare applications."
The company plans to use the funding to refine its prototype, expand its team and establish additional research and clinical partnerships as development of the technology continues.
Pic: Professor Teuta Pilizota and Dr James Flewellen (Felix Adler)
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