What You Should Know:
– Today, Allergy Amulet announces $3.3M in seed funding
to launch the world’s smallest and fastest consumer food allergen sensor and
empower the allergy community by alleviating fears about what’s in their food.
– Allergy Amulet’s novel technology can improve the
quality of life for the millions of people living with food allergies or
intolerances by testing for common allergenic ingredients in seconds. The portable
device is made to fit every lifestyle — it’s small enough to fit on a
keychain, a necklace, or in a pocket.
– Every 3 minutes, a food allergy sends someone to the
ER. For the 32 million Americans and between 220-520 million people globally
who live with food allergies, the potentially fatal disease is a constant
threat.
Allergy Amulet, a Madison, WI-based company empowering the
food allergy community by alleviating fears about what’s in their food, today
announces $3.3 million in seed funding led by TitletownTech, a joint venture between Microsoft and the
Green Bay Packers.
Every 3 Minutes, a Food Allergy Sends Someone to the ER
Food allergies affect 32 million Americans and between 220
to 520 million people globally—that’s one in 13 children and one in 10 adults.
They can be fatal, even after ingesting only trace amounts of a known allergen.
The company has developed the world’s smallest and fastest consumer food allergen
sensor, which is capable of testing foods for common allergenic ingredients in
seconds. The patented technology fits on a keychain, a necklace, a wristband,
or in a pocket, and doubles as a medical alert system, making it easier and
safer to manage food allergies and intolerances.
Simple + Fast Detection
Allergy Amulet helps:
Individuals with food allergies: It makes testing for food allergens
easy, giving people additional assurances that their food is safe.
Parents with children who have food allergies: It gives
parents another tool to manage their children’s allergies, and helps children
live a normal childhood, maintain independence, and safely attend sleepovers
and birthday parties (or just school) with friends.
Businesses: It gives restaurant owners, schools, childcare
providers, summer camps, and hotels the power of extra precaution to save them
time, money, and worry.
How It Works
The Allergy Amulet is a fast and portable food allergen and
ingredient sensor, designed to fit every lifestyle. Its first-of-its-kind
detection platform pairs molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology with a
conductive electrochemical platform to detect target allergenic ingredients.
The Amulet consists of two parts: a USB-sized reader (the “Amulet”) and a test
strip that houses the proprietary sensor chips. The case also accommodates
epinephrine and antihistamines, giving users a complete allergy care management
platform.
For consumers, testing for food allergens is made possible
in four simple steps:
Step 1: Users collect a sample of the food with
the test strip, and turn the top of the tester to grind the sample.
Step 2: A chip slides out from the test strip and is
inserted into the reader.
Step 3: Test results appear on the reader within
seconds, indicating the presence or absence of the target allergen.
Step 4: Optional: store test results in the mobile
app, connect and share results with the food allergy community, or hold down a
button on the reader to alert your emergency contacts.
The Team
The Allergy Amulet team has deep connections to the
communities they serve — Barnes has managed life-threatening food allergies
since childhood, and experienced a near-fatal anaphylactic event as a teenager.
After meeting her Co-founder and Scientific Advisor, Dr. Joseph BelBruno, a
Dartmouth chemistry professor emeritus with life-threatening food allergies,
the two worked to make Allergy Amulet a reality.
The company holds one issued U.S. patent with multiple
applications, and its waitlist has thousands of individuals signed up to
participate in an early beta release, scheduled to kickoff later this
year.
Expansion Plans
This infusion of new capital will be used to manufacture beta units, help to launch pre-orders, expand product offerings to cover more allergens, grow the company’s world-class team, add additional restaurant and company partners to its roster, and educate consumers on the benefits of additional food allergen management tools. In addition to Titletown, its seed financing includes participation from Great North Labs, Colle Capital, Great Oaks VC, DeepWork Capital, Dipalo Ventures, and Bulldog Innovation Group.
“The current standard of care — avoiding certain foods,
injecting epinephrine to treat reactions, and visiting the emergency room —
can take a serious emotional, financial, and physical toll on individuals,
caregivers, and families,” said Abigail Barnes, Co-founder and CEO of Allergy Amulet.
“Our hope is to help individuals more safely engage in the activities that
bring them joy, whether that means going to a restaurant with friends and
family or eating a cupcake at a party.”
Availability
Allergy Amulet is slated for pre-sales Fall of 2020 and
launch Fall of 2021.
