This London Startup's Tiny Sensor Could Kill Finger Pricks for Good

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-09

You know that annoying finger prick routine if you or someone you love has diabetes? Well, a London-based startup just took a giant leap toward making it obsolete. Sava Technologies, a HealthTech company you might not have heard of yet, just closed a $36 million Series B round. The funding was led by Ascensia, with big names like Balderton Capital and Norrsken VC chipping in. And here's the kicker: Ascensia isn't just an investor—they're now Sava's commercialization partner. That's a pretty strong vote of confidence. ### What Exactly Does Sava Do? Sava has developed a wearable biosensor that detects molecules just beneath your skin. It starts with glucose, but the platform is designed to track other biomarkers too. So we're not just talking about diabetes management—this could open doors to continuous sensing for all sorts of health conditions. Their microsensors are about ten times shorter than the filament in traditional continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). That means less skin disruption, but they still reach interstitial fluid. And because they were designed for high-volume manufacturing from day one, they're built to scale. ### The Road to Market Sava isn't wasting any time. They're planning a pivotal clinical study this year and targeting CE approval for non-adjunctive use. In plain English: if approved, you could make insulin dosing decisions without routine fingerstick confirmation. That's the gold standard for a CGM to actually replace blood glucose testing. Subject to that approval, Ascensia will lead the commercial launch, starting in Europe. ### Why This Matters for the U.S. Even though this is happening across the pond, it's a big deal for anyone watching diabetes tech in the States. Ascensia has a massive footprint—they sell in over 90 countries with direct operations in 29 markets. If Sava's tech takes off in Europe, it's only a matter of time before it hits the U.S. Plus, the total funding for Sava now sits at $68 million. That's a lot of fuel for a company that only emerged from stealth in June 2024. They raised a $7.4 million seed round back in 2019, then a $16.6 million Series A in July 2025. The momentum is real. ### What the CEO Says Renato Circi, co-founder and Co-CEO of Sava, didn't mince words: "For decades, continuous monitoring has been held back by the same legacy technology. This is about to change. We're thrilled to be partnering with Ascensia, a global powerhouse in the space, to deliver, as a first step, something radically better to millions of people with diabetes." Peter Bodlund, CEO of Ascensia, added: "Microsensor technology has the potential to transform the day-to-day monitoring experience for people with diabetes. By bringing together Sava's innovative technology with Ascensia's deep diabetes expertise, strong reputation and commercial capabilities, we have an exciting opportunity to address important unmet needs in diabetes care." ### The Bottom Line Sava is using this fresh capital to scale up manufacturing and get ready for commercialization. If everything goes according to plan, we could see a truly painless, continuous glucose monitor on the market in the not-too-distant future. And that's something worth keeping an eye on—no finger pricks required.