Edinburgh spinout secures £1.2 million to advance treatment of hormone-related conditions

An Edinburgh-based spinout developing a new way to measure hormone levels in real time has secured a £1.2 million funding injection.

Kāhu SiliconBio, founded by scientists Dr James Flewellen and Prof Teuta Pilizota and incorporated in 2025, is exploring how its technology could provide new insights into women’s hormone-related conditions and support improved diagnosis and treatment.

The firm is commercialising research from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Engineering Biology, building on earlier work backed by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).

Kāhu SiliconBio is commercialising research from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Engineering Biology, building on earlier work backed by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).

The funding, awarded by the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D), will support the development of the company’s next prototype as it adapts its technology for women’s health applications.

Unlike traditional hormone tests, which typically provide a single measurement at one point in time, the firm’s tech has been developed to track hormone levels throughout the day, creating a more detailed picture of how they change in response to factors such as sleep, stress, nutrition and the menstrual cycle. The system combines engineered biology with silicon chip technology.

Co-founder Flewellen, who is 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.”

Since launching, the venture has secured support from a range of innovation funding programmes, including Scottish Enterprise, Innovate UK, Silicon Catalyst UK and the Roslin Institute Campus Innovation Account. Looking ahead, the company plans to continue refining its prototype, expand its team and establish new research and clinical partnerships.

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, and it’s exciting to see its work gaining international recognition as it moves towards new healthcare applications.”