Sava's $36M Bet: A Tiny Sensor That Could End Finger Pricks

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-09

Imagine checking your blood sugar without a finger prick. That's the promise behind Sava Technologies, a London-based HealthTech company that just raised $36 million (€32.08 million) to bring its wearable glucose microsensor to Europe. ### The Funding Round That Changes Everything The Series B round was led by Ascensia, a global diabetes care company, with participation from Balderton Capital, Norrsken VC, Simplyhealth Ventures, JamJar Investments, and Pentland Ventures. This brings Sava's total funding to $68 million (€60.6 million). Not bad for a startup that only emerged from stealth in June 2024. But the money is just part of the story. Sava also announced a partnership with Ascensia to commercialize and distribute its technology, starting in Europe. Ascensia, a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation, sells products in over 90 countries and has deep expertise in diabetes care. ### A Sensor Ten Times Shorter Than Traditional CGMs So what makes Sava's technology different? Traditional continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) use a filament that's inserted under the skin. Sava's microsensor is about ten times shorter, which means less disruption to the skin while still reaching interstitial fluid. > "For decades, continuous monitoring has been held back by the same legacy technology. This is about to change," says Renato Circi, co-founder and Co-CEO of Sava. "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." The platform starts with glucose, but it's designed to track other biomarkers too. That opens the door to continuous sensing far beyond diabetes. ### From Stealth to Scale Founded in 2019 by Imperial College London bioengineers Renato Circi and Rafaël Michali, Sava spent five years in stealth before emerging with a $7.4 million seed round. Now, with this new funding, the company is focused on manufacturing scale-up and commercial readiness. Sava is planning a pivotal clinical study this year and is targeting CE approval for non-adjunctive use. That means the device could be used to make insulin dosing decisions without routine fingerstick confirmation—the standard required for a CGM to replace, rather than supplement, blood glucose testing. If approved, Ascensia will lead the commercial launch in Europe. Peter Bodlund, CEO of Ascensia, sees huge potential: "Microsensor technology has the potential to transform the day-to-day monitoring experience for people with diabetes." ### What This Means for the Future For millions of people with diabetes, this could mean fewer finger pricks and more freedom. For the industry, it's a sign that legacy technology is finally getting a shake-up. And for Sava, it's a chance to prove that a tiny sensor can make a big difference. Keep an eye on this one. The next few years could be game-changing.