Level Zero Health, co-founded by Ula Rustamova and Irene Jia, is developing a pioneering continuous hormone monitoring device, aiming to revolutionize hormone health in the same way continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have transformed diabetes management.

Hormones play a critical role in regulating various bodily functions, from reproductive health to mood and energy levels, and a device like this could have wide-reaching health impacts.

The startup presented its technology at TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield and shared its approach: adapting FDA-approved CGM needles for continuous hormone tracking.

This complex endeavor requires novel sensors and scientific groundwork, as the methods to continuously measure hormones in interstitial fluid—a fluid surrounding body cells—are still under development. While CGMs have established protocols for glucose tracking, applying similar methods to hormones involves new scientific challenges.

Level Zero’s method centers on sensors that detect hormone concentrations using aptamers, which are single-stranded DNA molecules that specifically bind to target molecules and undergo reversible changes. By measuring how hormones bind to these aptamer strands, the device can detect hormone density.

Their initial focus is on tracking progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone, with applications in high-demand fields like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and low testosterone management. Combined, these areas represent a potential $30 billion market.

Rather than selling directly to consumers, Level Zero plans to distribute the device through healthcare providers. Rustamova critiques home hormone-testing kits, often marketed for urine, sweat, or saliva testing, as largely ineffective. She argues that blood testing remains the only reliable method for hormone measurement. If successful, Level Zero’s innovation could set a new standard in hormone health monitoring and open doors to improved personalized healthcare.

Editor’s note: To our knowledge, this technology has not yet been approved by the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration), the only official institution in the United States allowed to assess any medical-grade device’s health benefits and safety. We only report on the company LevelZero’s claims and could not verify them.

Filed in Medical. Read more about Connected Health, Digital Health, Health, Medical and Wearable Tech.