#6sensorlabs

6SensorLabs today announced it has raised $9.2 million in Series A funding led by Foundry Group, with participation from Upfront Ventures, SoftTech VC, SK Ventures, Lemnos Labs, Mitch Kapor and Matt Rogers, founder of Nest. The company also announced that it will operate under its consumer-facing Nima brand to consolidate into a single, cohesive identity, effective immediately. The round and rebrand follow an enthusiastic consumer reception of the pre-sale of its first product – a portable sensor that detects gluten in food and the company’s first product.

“This round of funding will allow Nima to deliver on its mission of creating a range of devices that test food for various proteins and substances beyond gluten, helping as many people as possible live their healthiest lives,” said Shireen Yates, CEO and co-founder of Nima. “The Nima brand is widely accepted and synonymous with our company and products, and this focus will strengthen our marketing approach as we prepare to launch new products on the Nima platform.”

Nima will use the funding to fuel the development and release of food sensors for peanut and milk already slated for release in 2017, R&D on additional proteins and substances, as well as ramp its software and services side of the business via its connected mobile app. In the past year, Nima opened pre-orders for its highly anticipated gluten sensor and won the esteemed TechCrunch Hardware Battlefield competition at CES 2016.

“Options for understanding what’s in our food are minimal, and Nima has the vast potential to fulfill a visceral need in the food transparency sector,” said Brad Feld, managing director of Foundry Group, who assumes a new seat on Nima’s board of directors. “Nima leverages human computer interaction to provide the community with better data about our food to potentially save lives – in five years, we’ll wonder how we ever lived without it.”

Nima is entering its final round of beta testing before it ships to consumers later this year. Beta testers have called the device “life-changing” as it empowers them to feel confident about what they’re eating and enjoy their food in all manner of social settings.

CEO Shireen Yates speaks on Why We Need Hybrid Food, Health, and Med Technology during her SXSW panel.

Session Description:

With the introduction of wearables and mobile health/fitness apps, consumers have shifted to a proactive mindset with their own health. However, health tech has focused largely on energy consumption - how we use energy - versus energy input - how we nourish our bodies.

CEO Shireen Yates will be speaking at Eating Through Time, Saturday, Oct. 17, NYC

Carla and Heather, our marketing and PR team, will be at our booth for the Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest, October 24 - 25, Indianapolis

CEO Shireen Yates will be on a panel at Re-Think Food, November 6 - 8, Napa Valley, CA

We’re so excited to talk about Elizabeth Akinyi Ochola, who joins 6SensorLabs for a short time, working with our chemistry team. Liz comes to us through a US Department of State educational and cultural program called Tech Women. What is this program? In its own words:

TechWomen empowers, connects, and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities. 

Elizabeth hails from Kisumu, Kenya, where she is a research officer at Kenya Medical Research Institute in their Neglected Tropical Diseases unit. This unit carries out research on infectious diseases. She holds a master's degree in medical parasitology from Maseno University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Eastern Africa-Baraton. Her current research is based on evaluation of point of care diagnostic tools for schistosomiasis control. She also takes part in operational research that provides control interventions to communities infected with schistosomiasis in western Kenya.

We asked Liz a few questions about the program and what she hopes to accomplish.

What brought you to 6SensorLabs? I have research Interests on design, production and validation of rapid diagnostic tools. I hope to learn more of these techniques during my time at 6SensorLabs as well as experience the American work culture.

What is your food identity? Love seafood and enjoys drinking wine, love to sample exotic cuisines from all over the world. No known food allergies but trying to lead a healthier lifestyle by incorporating more fruits and veggies in diet with the ultimate goal of going vegan and possibly gluten-free. Can't stand cheese, sour cream and pineapples.

What are you hoping to learn or do in San Francisco? I hope to soak up as much knowledge as I can from my mentor Dr. Jingqing Zhang, as well as interact and learn from the rest of the team at 6SensorLabs. I'm keen on applying the knowledge learnt back home for infectious disease research. I'm looking forward to visiting Alcatraz and attending a rock concert before I leave San Francisco.

Come check out the San Francisco offices of 6SensorLabs during NewCo! We’re hosting a breakfast and chat on October 6th at 11am. It’s free if you sign up soon -- plus you can check out a ton of other San Francisco and Oakland based companies and non-profits.

Portable Device Tests for Food Allergens

A simple red light on the Nima Sensor can indicate if your restaurant meal will make you sick