Nutromics, an Australian founded startup developing a wearable molecular sensing platform, today announced it has secured AU$3 million in non-dilutive funding through the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Projects Round 18, as part of a total project value of AU$11.2 million. The funding will support the development of a world-first sepsis management microneedle patch capable of real-time, multi-analyte sensing with sensor design accelerated by cutting-edge robotics.
Sepsis is the leading cause of death globally, with 11 million sepsis-related deaths in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A national analysis from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care found that it affects around 84,000 people each year in Australia alone, of which 12,000 will die. Every hour of delayed treatment increases sepsis mortality risk by 8%, despite advances in modern medicine.
Running from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029, this project brings together a consortium of industry and academic partners including Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS), Global Life Sciences Solutions Australia Pty Ltd T/as Cytiva, The University of Sydney, The University of New South Wales, Tecan Australia, and A.T.A Scientific. The consortium will develop a wearable patch that gives clinicians the ability to identify and monitor sepsis in real time, enabling earlier intervention and saving lives. The patch will be validated in a clinical study across ICU and emergency settings, building Australia's sovereign diagnostic capability.
This announcement represents further significant progress for Nutromics, following the landmark publication of its first-in-human studies earlier this year in Nature Biotechnology, which demonstrated for the first time that a wearable molecular sensing platform can continuously measure drug levels in real time in the human body.
"Sepsis kills with speed, and today our tools simply aren't fast enough to match it. That is exactly why this is a problem we are focusing our efforts on," said Hitesh Mehta, COO and Co-founder of Nutromics. "This CRC Projects grant validates both the urgency of the clinical need and the strength of our platform to address it. By combining Nutromics' DNA-based sensing technology with robotics-accelerated sensor design and a world-class consortium, we have a genuine opportunity to transform how sepsis is managed in hospitals across Australia and beyond."
"Sepsis remains one of medicine's most pressing and deadly challenges. Nutromics has already shown their platform works in humans," said Prof. Justin Gooding from the University of New South Wales. "We are building on a proven foundation and directing it at one of the highest-value clinical targets imaginable. The potential to save lives is real."
The Nutromics sepsis patch will leverage the same core molecular sensing platform, adapted for multi-analyte detection of key sepsis biomarkers. The technology's capabilities in humans were recently demonstrated and published in Nature Biotechnology, and multi-analyte capability was presented at the International Congress of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT) last year.
Robotics will be deployed to accelerate sensor design and optimisation, compressing development timelines and enhancing sensing precision. Clinical validation across ICU and emergency settings is designed to meet the demands of real-world deployment and lay the groundwork for regulatory pathways and future commercialisation.
About Nutromics
Nutromics is an Australian-founded advanced monitoring company that has built a wearable, DNA-based platform for continuous molecular monitoring. Its electrochemical aptamer-based sensors, integrated with minimally invasive microneedles, are designed to sense multiple proteins, drugs, metabolites, and hormones in real time. Nutromics is advancing toward regulatory clearance and commercial launch of its first product, with operations in Australia and the United States. The company’s vision is a world with zero preventable deaths due to a lack of continuous molecular monitoring. For more information, visit www.nutromics.com.
Media Contact
Royina Bakshi Lock
Nutromics
roy.bakshi@nutromics.com
