Nutromics
Melbourne, AU Β· 4 known investors
Nutromics is developing a wearable patch for continuous, real-time monitoring of biomarkers in hospital settings, starting with therapeutic drug monitoring of the antibiotic vancomycin. The technology aims to help clinicians keep patients within the therapeutic range and is intended to expand into infectious disease, cardiology, and renal indications.
Also known as Nutromics Pty Ltd
Founders & leadership
Investors Β· 4
Also in the syndicate Β· 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Nutromics is a diagnostics company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a second research and development site in San Diego. It is developing a wearable "lab-on-a-patch" that combines multiple DNA-based electrochemical aptamer (EAB) sensors with microneedles to measure molecular targets in dermal interstitial fluid continuously and in real time, transmitting results via Bluetooth to hospital information systems. The company frames the problem it addresses as the limits of conventional laboratory diagnostics, which return a single data point that is several hours old and must be repeated to produce trend data.
The first indication is therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin, an intravenous antibiotic used as first-line treatment for life-threatening infections including sepsis and MRSA that has a narrow therapeutic window and high toxicity risk, including vancomycin-induced acute kidney injury. Planned future targets, as described on the company's site, span infectious disease and sepsis, cardiology (including troponin), renal function and kidney injury biomarkers, with several targets held as trade secrets. Products are in development and have not been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory body; the company is targeting FDA approval for its vancomycin product in 2028 and a commercial launch in 2027.
Nutromics has reported a world-first clinical trial in which patches recorded vancomycin concentrations in dermal interstitial fluid at five-minute intervals, a completed safety study for the DNA-based technology, and, at the IATDMCT conference, real-time continuous in vivo data on vancomycin and tobramycin measured simultaneously on one device in animal models.
Founding story
Nutromics was founded in 2017 by Peter Vranes, a chemical engineer and serial entrepreneur, and Hitesh Mehta, a former corporate consultant with healthcare consulting experience. The company received pre-seed funding in 2018 after participating in the MedTech Actuator program, and following several technology pivots secured rights to its DNA-based sensor technology in 2020, when prototype development began at its R&D facility.
Business model
Nutromics develops a proprietary wearable diagnostic device (lab-on-a-patch) intended for use in hospital and critical-care settings, with an initial therapeutic drug monitoring application for vancomycin. Alongside its own clinical studies, it supplies research-use-only wearable devices to pharmaceutical partners to support clinical trial monitoring, which the company describes as its first pathway to commercial revenue. It plans to establish its own advanced manufacturing hub, preferably in Australia.
The company's first described route to commercial revenue is the provision of research-use-only wearable devices to pharmaceutical partners for clinical trial monitoring, ahead of regulatory approval and commercial launch of its vancomycin product.
Traction
A pilot clinical trial reported accurate recording of vancomycin concentrations in dermal interstitial fluid at five-minute intervals; a microneedle aptamer patch detected vancomycin in real time for at least 12 hours. The company completed a world-first safety study for its DNA-based technology in 2023, completed its world-first clinical study in 2024, and stated in 2025 that it was conducting ICU trials. It presented real-time in vivo multiplexing data on vancomycin and tobramycin at IATDMCT. Headcount grew from 10 in 2021 to 25 in 2022, 50+ in 2023 and over 60 across Melbourne and San Diego.
Latest developments
In September 2025 Nutromics announced an A$7.5 million acceleration round led by a specialist Australian life sciences investor, lifting cumulative funding to A$60 million, and said it was running ICU trials and targeting FDA approval for vancomycin in 2028. It secured AU$3 million within an AU$11.2 million consortium under CRC Projects funding to develop a wearable sepsis management patch, appointed medtech veteran Tom Prescott (former Align Technology CEO) as board chair ahead of a U.S. commercial launch slated for 2027, and presented real-time in vivo multiplexing data for vancomycin and tobramycin at IATDMCT. It also joined the Victorian Government's 30X30 program and the Cicada x Tech23 2025 cohort.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Nutromics positions itself as the developer of the world's first lab-on-a-patch and reports world-first milestones including a clinical trial of real-time drug concentration monitoring and real-time in vivo multiplexing of two antibiotics. It was named among nine participants in the Victorian Government's inaugural 30X30 program aimed at fast-tracking startups toward unicorn status by 2030, was selected for the Cicada x Tech23 2025 deep tech cohort, and won Technology Platform Solution of the Year at the 2021 national iAwards.
The platform is presented as addressing the limitation of existing continuous monitors, which measure glucose only, by using DNA-based aptamer sensors that can be configured for a broad range of diagnostic targets and can measure multiple analytes simultaneously on a single wearable device at five-minute resolution.
Technology
The core platform, branded lab-on-a-patch, pairs microneedles with multiple synthetic DNA-based electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) sensors that measure targets in interstitial fluid, coupled with data analytics and Bluetooth communication to hospital information systems. The sensor technology was invented by Prof. Kevin Plaxco of UC Santa Barbara, and rights were secured by Nutromics in 2020. Unlike continuous glucose monitors, which measure only glucose, the company positions DNA-based sensing as capable of addressing multiple diagnostic targets, and has demonstrated simultaneous real-time measurement of vancomycin and tobramycin on a single device in animal models.
Go-to-market
Initial focus is therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin in hospital critical care, supported by clinical studies including ICU trials, with FDA approval targeted for 2028 and commercial launch referenced for 2027. Near-term revenue comes from research-use-only devices supplied to pharmaceutical partners. The company added former Align Technology CEO Tom Prescott as board chair ahead of a U.S. commercial launch and operates an R&D site in San Diego to support the U.S. market.
Hospitals and critical care/ICU clinicians who dose and monitor difficult-to-manage drugs such as vancomycin, plus pharmaceutical companies using research-use-only devices for clinical trial monitoring.
Geography
Headquarters and a purpose-built 1,000 sqm R&D facility in Melbourne, Australia, plus an R&D facility in San Diego, United States. A planned advanced manufacturing hub is targeted for Australia, and the company is preparing for a U.S. commercial launch.
History
Founded in 2017 and pre-seed funded in 2018 via the MedTech Actuator program, Nutromics pivoted several times before securing rights to DNA-based sensor technology in 2020 and starting prototype development. In 2021 it won Technology Platform Solution of the Year at the national iAwards, placed second in the MedTech Innovator Program and reached 10 employees. In 2022 it raised USD 14 million in pre-Series A funding led by Dexcom Ventures, opened its first San Diego R&D facility, moved into a purpose-built 1,000 sqm Melbourne R&D facility, developed a fully integrated prototype wearable and grew to 25 staff. In 2023 it raised a further USD 7 million acceleration round (A$11 million), taking funding to date to USD 30 million, appointed Dr Chris Roberts AO as Non-Executive Chairperson, completed a world-first safety study and passed 50 employees. In 2024 it completed its world-first clinical study, and in 2025 it raised A$7.5 million in a further acceleration round, secured AU$3 million in CRC Projects funding for a sepsis patch and appointed Tom Prescott as board chair.
Risks & controversies
The product is in development and has not been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory body, with approval targeted only for 2028 and commercial launch for 2027. Plans for the Australian advanced manufacturing facility are stated as contingent on investor and government co-investment.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 16
launches, deals, and filingsNutromics raised A$7.5 million led by a specialist Australian life sciences investor; the company said cumulative funding reached A$60 million and that proceeds support scaling toward a planned Australian manufacturing facility.
Nutromics was among 23 ventures selected from 150 applications for the Cicada x Tech23 2025 cohort.
Nutromics secured AU$3 million within an AU$11.2 million consortium under CRC Projects funding to develop a wearable sepsis management patch, building on Nature Biotechnology findings.
Former Align Technology CEO Tom Prescott joined the Nutromics board as chairperson as the company advances toward a 2027 commercial launch.
Nutromics was named among nine participants in the Victorian Government's inaugural 30X30 program to fast-track startups toward unicorn status by 2030.
Nutromics presented real-time, continuous data on vancomycin and tobramycin measured simultaneously on the same device in animal models.
The company's world-first clinical study, in which patches recorded vancomycin concentrations in dermal interstitial fluid at five-minute intervals, was completed with successful results.
Nutromics raised A$11 million (US$7 million) in an acceleration round ahead of a planned Series A, bringing funding to date to USD 30 million.
$7M source β
Nutromics established its first R&D facility in San Diego and moved into a purpose-built 1,000 sqm R&D facility in Melbourne.
$14M source β
Nutromics won the Technology Platform Solution of the Year category at the AIIA's 2021 national iAwards; it also placed second in the MedTech Innovator Program that year.
After several technology pivots, Nutromics secured rights to its DNA-based sensor technology and began prototype development at its R&D facility.
Nutromics received pre-seed funding following participation in the MedTech Actuator program.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- Nutromicsnutromics.com Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Nutromics do?
- Melbourne-based diagnostics company developing a DNA-sensor "lab-on-a-patch" for continuous, real-time drug and biomarker monitoring.
- Who founded Nutromics?
- Nutromics was founded by Peter Vranes, Hitesh Mehta, Garry Chambers.
- Who are Nutromics's investors?
- Nutromics's investors include Artesian, CP Ventures, MedTech Actuator.
- Where is Nutromics headquartered?
- Nutromics is headquartered in Melbourne, AU.