SANTA CLARA, Calif. (January 31, 2018) – W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced a joint development agreement and cash investment with digital health startup Kenzen and the Gore Innovation Center in Silicon Valley. Gore engineers and scientists will work hand in hand with Kenzen, an innovator in precision health monitoring and insights, to develop a comprehensive wearable health monitoring system that employs biosensor data and predictive modeling to anticipate and prevent avoidable injuries and health conditions.

By incorporating Gore’s advanced materials, Kenzen will enhance the comfort of these on-skin applications. The Kenzen Patch is comprised of a variety of printed sensors that continuously monitor numerous health parameters and measure a variety of attributes, including sweat, heart rate and body temperature. The system promotes good health by using sweat biomarker analysis in its sensing platform, along with custom algorithms via a companion mobile app that provide contextual insights about an individual’s body when they are at work, even in extreme conditions. The device’s thin, breathable layers capture and deliver ongoing, real-time, clinical-grade biometric data.

“Discomfort, skin irritation and signal quality are among the biggest challenges for skin-based patch sensors and health monitoring devices today. For sweat analysis, the ability to continuously transport volumes of sweat to and away from our sensors is critical. The investment and joint development effort with Gore will help push past these issues by enabling us to deliver highly-breathable, flexible materials while improving sensor performance and accuracy using microfluidics,” said Kenzen CEO and Co-founder Dr. Sonia Sousa. “We presented a complex set of material requirements for sensor selectivity and sensitivity, and it became abundantly clear that Gore’s deep expertise in medical devices and high-performance fabrics would prove strategic in making Kenzen’s products more comfortable, reliable and easier to wear.”

Gore founded its Innovation Center in Santa Clara, so startups, researchers, corporations and customers can collaborate with Gore innovators on difficult, advanced materials challenges that are out of scope for Gore’s current commercial business. The Gore Innovation Center offers prototyping facilities, access to its deep material science expertise, and a co-working space for partners to co-develop unique solutions to difficult challenges across a wide range of industries.

“Kenzen is the type of startup we wanted to collaborate with when we first imagined creating the Gore Innovation Center,” said Linda Elkins, Gore Innovation Center Co-Leader. Center Co-Leader Paul Campbell added: “For 60 years, Gore has been applying its materials science expertise to improve lives. Providing transformative and preventative health data solutions, using both companies’ technologies, directly aligns with this legacy.”

The Gore Innovation Center is an 11,000 square feet co-innovation space and lab. Startups, researchers, corporations and customers can collaborate with Gore innovators on difficult advanced materials challenges in Medical, Fabrics, Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial, Electronics, and Digital Health applications to create new business opportunities and value for all partners. For more information regarding the Gore Innovation Center in Silicon Valley, visit gore.com/innovation-center. Startups can contact Gore to start working together today.

W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments — from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX® fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and continued recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute. Headquartered in Newark, DE, Gore employs approximately 9,500 Associates and generates annual revenues that exceed $3 billion. www.gore.com.

Kenzen is an innovator in personal health monitoring and predictive analytics designed to empower its users in the field of precision health and safety. With real-time sweat biomarker analysis, the award-winning Kenzen Patch continuously measures hydration, vital signs and a key set of biometrics. Kenzen helps companies, teams and individuals to reduce injuries, optimize their health, and prevent avoidable health conditions, by delivering highly personalized insights and notifications. Learn more at www.kenzen.com.

Dana Schroeder
Sterling Communications, Inc. for Gore Innovation Center
+1 408 395 5500
Contact by email

Jennifer Schenberg
PenVine for Kenzen
+1 917 445 4454
Contact by email