Swiss Health Tech Revolution: Liom Funding Round Signals Major Shift in Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring
Swiss health tech startup Liom has extended its Series A financing round by €13.9 million, bringing total funding to €67.6 million and positioning the company as a frontrunner in the non-invasive glucose monitoring revolution. This latest investment milestone represents far more than another funding announcement – it signals a technological breakthrough that could transform how millions manage diabetes and metabolic health.
The timing proves particularly significant as the global blood glucose monitoring market grows from $24.56 billion in 2025 toward $35.79 billion by 2030, while diabetes affects 589 million adults worldwide. Meanwhile, the continuous glucose monitoring segment alone stands at $13.3 billion in 2025 and projects explosive growth to $28.7 billion by 2030.
Breakthrough Technology Drives Investment Interest
Liom’s proprietary miniaturization breakthrough significantly increases light throughput versus current state-of-the-art solutions, even outperforming table-sized lab-scale devices by 12x while enabling over 24-hour battery life in smartwatch sizing. This represents the holy grail for glucose monitoring – accurate, needle-free measurements without per-subject calibration.
The Liom funding round draws particular significance from its high-profile backers. Red Bull Ventures joined as a new investor, acknowledging the immense potential for this technology to drive groundbreaking wearable device development. Marc Maurer, former co-CEO of On Running valued at over €11.8 billion, joined both as investor and board member.
The new capital follows Liom’s recent breakthrough in miniaturizing its proprietary Raman spectroscopy platform, having proven its ability to measure glucose non-invasively on over 130 subjects without requiring needles for calibration. In a recent third-party validation study, Liom’s system demonstrated a MARD (Mean Absolute Relative Difference) of 14.5% without any per-subject calibration.
Swiss Health Tech Startup Landscape Shows Strong Growth
These 2025 funding rounds illustrate a climate where roughly €31 million is being allocated toward startups developing continuous monitoring, personalized metabolic insight tools, and preventive diagnostics. The Liom funding round represents part of a broader European health tech investment wave.
Sava Technologies Ltd., a London-based MedTech innovator, raised €16.6 million in Series A to advance regulatory approval for its real-time molecular wearable sensors, bringing total funding to nearly €28 million. Additionally, Lucis secured €7.2 million in seed funding to expand its biomarker-based health analytics platform across Europe.
The competitive landscape intensifies as established players face pressure. Liom remains ahead of Apple, Samsung, and Google, which have not shared comparable non-invasive glucose monitoring results, though Samsung recently announced renewed efforts in this space.
Market Dynamics Favor Non-Invasive Solutions
Continuous glucose monitoring systems lead market growth with a forecast 12.2% CAGR due to expanded reimbursement and over-the-counter availability. However, current solutions still require needles for calibration or insertion, creating barriers for widespread adoption.
Marc Maurer believes Liom has potential to disrupt and significantly expand the wearable market created by Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Whoop, and Oura, which haven’t seen sensor-level innovation over the past decade. This assessment proves particularly compelling given his track record scaling consumer products.
The existing continuous glucose monitoring market remains highly concentrated, with Abbott controlling 56.74% of 2024 revenue, Dexcom accounting for 35.20%, and Medtronic representing 6.88%, leaving only 1.2% for emergent players.
Commercial Timeline and Strategic Positioning
Liom plans to develop and test its wrist-worn prototype on 100+ people by end of 2025 and launch a pre-launch sales campaign in H1 2026. The device will ship by mid-2027 at the latest, with a waitlist sign-up already available online.
This timeline positions the company strategically. Dexcom received FDA clearance for its G7 15-Day Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in 2025, providing users with extended wear periods and simplifying continuous glucose monitoring. However, these devices still require invasive insertion.
European HealthTech startups focusing on wearables, biosensing, and preventive care have attracted notable venture capital in 2025, reflecting investor confidence in technologies delivering continuous health insights beyond traditional clinical settings.
Technology Platform Extends Beyond Glucose
The Liom funding round supports development of a comprehensive biosensor platform. This innovation assists consumers and athletes in optimizing well-being, longevity, and performance through access to real-time biomarker measurements, including glucose, lactate, and other indicators.
Leveraging proprietary light- and AI-based technology, the device provides additional health metrics like heart rate and movement, with plans to add macronutrients including lipids and proteins, ketones, hydration, and lactate.
Marc Maurer’s expertise will support Liom as it shifts from R&D into product development and commercialization. His background proves particularly relevant given the consumer-facing nature of wearable devices and the importance of brand building in competitive markets.
Regulatory and Clinical Validation Progress
Liom published independently conducted, prospective study results and peer-reviewed clinical findings in the Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology in January 2025. This peer-reviewed validation provides credibility crucial for regulatory approvals and clinical adoption.
The study demonstrated a Mean Absolute Relative Difference of 14.5% without per-subject calibration, comparable to first-generation needle-based CGMs, which reached 10% MARD levels after 10 years of optimization. With per-subject calibration, Liom achieved an even lower 7% MARD.
Liom’s first product, expected to launch in 2028, is a non-invasive glucose-monitoring wearable offering a comprehensive view of metabolic health. This timeline allows for extensive testing and regulatory approval processes.
Investment Implications and Market Outlook
The Liom funding round occurs against favorable market conditions. Over-the-counter approvals in 2024 removed prescription barriers in the United States, expanding the blood glucose monitoring market by unlocking mass retail channels.
AI integration in glucose monitoring devices helps reduce manual checking by predicting sugar levels and creating personalized plans, with companies like Roche launching AI-powered diabetes management systems in March 2025.
The global blood glucose monitor market is projected to reach $25.4 billion by 2030, up from $16.5 billion in 2025, growing at 9.1% CAGR. This growth creates substantial opportunities for innovative companies like Liom.
At the consumer level, Liom wants to expand the market defined by Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Whoop and Oura by adding a fundamentally new sensor layer, rather than another software feature on existing hardware.
The Swiss health tech startup’s success in securing this Liom funding round demonstrates strong investor confidence in non-invasive biomarker monitoring technology. With breakthrough miniaturization achievements, peer-reviewed clinical validation, and strategic backing from experienced consumer product executives, Liom positions itself to capture significant market share in the rapidly expanding glucose monitoring sector.
As diabetes prevalence continues rising globally and consumers increasingly demand convenient health monitoring solutions, companies delivering truly non-invasive, calibration-free glucose monitoring stand to benefit substantially. The Liom funding round represents a crucial step toward making this technology commercially available by 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Liom funding round and how much did they raise?
Liom, a Swiss health tech startup, extended its Series A funding round by €13.9 million, bringing their total funding to €67.6 million to develop non-invasive glucose monitoring wearables.
What makes Liom’s glucose monitoring technology different from existing solutions?
Liom’s technology provides non-invasive glucose monitoring without requiring needle-based calibration, using proprietary Raman spectroscopy that’s been miniaturized into a wearable device format.
Who are the notable investors in the Liom funding round?
The funding round included Red Bull Ventures as a new investor and Marc Maurer, former co-CEO of On Running (valued at €11.8 billion), who joined as both investor and board member.
When will Liom’s glucose monitoring device be available to consumers?
Liom plans to launch a pre-launch sales campaign in H1 2026, with the actual device shipping to customers by mid-2027, making it available for commercial use.
How does Liom’s technology compare to current market leaders like Abbott and Dexcom?
While Abbott and Dexcom dominate the current CGM market with 56.74% and 35.20% market share respectively, their devices still require invasive insertion. Liom’s completely non-invasive approach represents a potential breakthrough.
What other health metrics will Liom’s device monitor besides glucose?
Beyond glucose, Liom’s platform will monitor heart rate, movement, lactate, and plans to add macronutrients like lipids and proteins, ketones, hydration levels, and other biomarkers.
What is the current size of the glucose monitoring market that Liom is entering?
The global blood glucose monitoring market is valued at $24.56 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $35.79 billion by 2030, with the continuous glucose monitoring segment growing at 16.68% CAGR.
