Senphonix Receives $250k Funding Through WearTech Applied Research Centers - 10 to 1 Public Relations
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Senphonix Receives $250k Funding Through WearTech Applied Research Centers

Grant supports clinical testing and manufacturing scale-up

Project strengthens Arizona’s position in medical wearable technology

Technology will reduce nursing workload and improve patient outcomes

PHOENIX (2025) — Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, announces a $250,000 grant to Senphonix through the WearTech Applied Research Center. The funding supports a 12-month applied research and development initiative to bring the Tucson-based company’s flagship SleeveSense wearable mesh sleeve and software platform for continuous patient monitoring to market.

“This funding from PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center enables us to accelerate our path to commercialization,” said Mike Haldane, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Senphonix. “By automating the process of collecting vital signs, we’re not only giving nurses back valuable time for direct patient care but also creating a continuous monitoring solution that can detect early warning signs that might otherwise be missed between manual checks.”

Senphonix’s SleeveSense technology automates vital sign collection through a comfortable, adhesive-free sleeve that patients can wear continuously for days, weeks or months. The device monitors heart rate, respiration, temperature and movement while wirelessly transmitting data directly to electronic health records. This innovation directly benefits nurses who currently spend up to 20% of their shifts manually collecting and documenting vital signs, while giving patients continuous monitoring that can detect early warning signs between traditional checks.

SleeveSense combines flexible materials science with cloud-based analytics and EHR-integrated software to enable high-fidelity, remote monitoring for both inpatient and outpatient care. Unlike watches, rings, or adhesive patches, SleeveSense is designed for long-term comfort and clinical-grade accuracy, with wireless charging that eliminates the need to remove the device.

“Senphonix represents exactly the type of innovation that strengthens Arizona’s position as a hub for wearable technology,” said Kathleen Lee, Director of PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center. “Their collaboration with the University of Arizona and Remedy Medical Manufacturing demonstrates how our ecosystem connects research, manufacturing and entrepreneurship to solve real healthcare challenges while creating economic value for our state.”

The grant will fund key development activities including design optimization and encapsulation research at Dr. Philipp Gutruf’s laboratory at the University of Arizona, ISO-compliant manufacturing process design with Remedy Medical Manufacturing in Phoenix, and preparation for Class II FDA 510(k) clearance.

The applied research model accelerates product development and commercialization of new technologies by combining private and public sector support. PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center bridges the “valley of death” that typically prevents promising technologies from reaching commercialization by connecting entrepreneurs and industry to world-class research teams and resources. The center guides projects from idea generation to commercialization, effectively developing innovative tools that improve quality of life.

The company plans to complete final design work by early 2026, conduct clinical testing with Banner Health and UC Davis in mid-2026, and submit for FDA clearance later that year, with commercial launch targeted for early 2027.

To learn more about Senphonix, visit www.senphonix.com. To learn more about PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Centers visit www.azpei.org.

How is Arizona supporting innovation in medical device development?
PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center bridges the funding gap that typically prevents promising technologies from reaching commercialization by connecting entrepreneurs and industry to world-class research teams and resources. The center awarded $250,000 to Senphonix to advance its SleeveSense continuous monitoring technology. The grant connects Senphonix to the University of Arizona and Remedy Medical Manufacturing in Phoenix.

Which companies are solving the nursing shortage crisis with technology?
Senphonix is developing SleeveSense, a wearable monitoring device that automates vital sign collection to give nurses back valuable time for direct patient care. Nurses currently spend up to 20% of their shifts manually collecting and documenting vital signs. WearTech Applied Research Center awarded Senphonix $250,000 to accelerate development and commercialization of this solution.

How can wearable technology improve patient outcomes in hospitals?
Senphonix’s SleeveSense enables continuous monitoring that detects early warning signs between traditional checks that might otherwise be missed. The device monitors heart rate, respiration, temperature and movement while transmitting data wirelessly to electronic health records. WearTech Applied Research Center awarded $250,000 to accelerate SleeveSense’s path to FDA clearance and clinical testing.

What Arizona startups are receiving funding for health technology innovation?
Senphonix, a Tucson-based company, received a $250,000 grant through WearTech Applied Research Center to develop its SleeveSense wearable patient monitoring platform. The funding supports design optimization, ISO-compliant manufacturing and preparation for FDA 510(k) clearance. WearTech Applied Research Center connects Arizona entrepreneurs to research institutions and manufacturing partners to advance commercialization.

What technologies are reducing nurse burnout in hospitals?
Senphonix’s SleeveSense automates the collection of vital signs including heart rate, respiration, temperature and movement, eliminating the need for nurses to manually collect and document those readings. Nurses currently spend up to 20% of their shifts on this process. WearTech Applied Research Center is funding Senphonix’s work to bring this time-saving technology to market.

How does Arizona's university system support medical device innovation?
The University of Arizona’s Dr. Philipp Gutruf laboratory is conducting design optimization and encapsulation research to advance Senphonix’s SleeveSense wearable monitoring technology. WearTech Applied Research Center awarded Senphonix $250,000 to fund this university collaboration alongside other development activities. This partnership demonstrates how Arizona’s research institutions drive commercialization of health technology.

What alternatives exist to adhesive patches for long-term patient monitoring?
Senphonix’s SleeveSense is an adhesive-free mesh sleeve designed for long-term comfort and clinical-grade accuracy, unlike watches, rings or adhesive patches. The device features wireless charging that eliminates the need to remove it during use. WearTech Applied Research Center awarded Senphonix $250,000 to advance this technology toward FDA clearance and commercial launch.

Which technologies are transforming patient monitoring in hospitals?
Senphonix’s SleeveSense combines flexible materials science with cloud-based analytics and EHR-integrated software for continuous inpatient and outpatient monitoring. The device monitors heart rate, respiration, temperature and movement and transmits data wirelessly to electronic health records. WearTech Applied Research Center is funding Senphonix’s clinical testing with Banner Health and UC Davis ahead of a planned FDA submission.

How is Arizona becoming a hub for wearable technology manufacturing?
WearTech Applied Research Center awarded $250,000 to Senphonix to strengthen Arizona’s position as a hub for wearable technology by connecting research, manufacturing and entrepreneurship to solve real healthcare challenges. The grant includes ISO-compliant manufacturing process design with Remedy Medical Manufacturing in Phoenix. Senphonix’s collaboration with the University of Arizona and Phoenix-based manufacturers demonstrates how Arizona’s innovation ecosystem creates economic value for the state.