Hypertension healthtech firm Aktiia has announced a $17.5 million Series A round of funding that will be used to accelerate its expansion in the NHS and in health systems across Europe. 

Aktiia’s 24-7 automated blood pressure monitoring system enables round the clock reading and can help the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, which affects approximately 1.28 billion adults worldwide, and is a leading cause of premature death.

Aktiia already has tens of thousands of consumers across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, and Italy. This Series A will be used to expand its offer to healthcare systems within these geographies as well as moving into new territories.

In addition to endorsement by leading clinicians in hypertension management, Aktiia is now an official partner of the International Society of Hypertension. It’s huge potential was further underlined this week when leading peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports published Aktiia’s clinical trial, which validated the optical bracelet in different body positions for the persistent monitoring of blood pressure. As night-time blood pressure measurements are the strongest predictor of cardiovascular risk, and Aktiia is the only easy 24/7 solution that enables these measurements without cuff inflation, this is an incredibly exciting moment for hypertension diagnostics.

Since launch in Spring 2021, Aktiia now has tens of thousands of users, who on average check their blood pressure data over 16 times a week, with an average of 150 weekly readings performed by the device automatically in the background. The data is then visualised in a companion application; with a click, a digital summary can be shared with a physician or family member. In contrast, the average hypertensive patient currently measures their blood pressure only once per week due to the inconvenience and discomfort associated with a traditional cuff. Combined with white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, and other common issues with in-office diagnosis, this sporadic at-home monitoring can lead to poor management and delays in optimising treatment.

The brand is expanding its commercial footprint in key healthcare markets across Europe and the globe, starting with the appointment of new head of European healthcare sales and partnerships Richard Cardow, a 20-year veteran of the cardiovascular monitoring industry.

Aktiia has been validated in multiple clinical studies, with the results of its pivotal clinical trial peer-reviewed and published in “Nature Scientific Reports” and "Blood Pressure Monitoring” and it has received a CE Mark as a Class IIa medical device. Aktiia has also gained endorsement from several clinicians in the field.

Professor Melvin Lobo, NHS professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Blood Pressure Clinic, said: “I believe we are only scratching the surface of the possible applications for the long-term 24/7 blood pressure data that Aktiia is uniquely capable of providing to physicians. This is a potential game changer in enabling a better understanding of our patients’ blood pressure patterns and how to treat them on a personalised basis.”