In what seems like a second, LVL Technologies (formerly known as BSX Athletics), has raised $6.75 million. This fundraiser was led by Samsung Catalyst Fund and it saw the likes of Maxim Integrated Products contributing to the course as well as other investors. This company had initially raised $2.5 million back in 2013 from some unknown investors thus taking the total funds raised so far to $9 million. LVL is based in, Austin, Texas and it is currently focused on the development of health and fitness wearables that tracks hydration, an additional metric that most of the current market wearables don’t have. With the help of infrared light, a sensor can detect the water content in the blood and the device will alert the user to take in some water.
Dr. Dustin Freckleton, founder, and CEO of LVL Technologies said in a statement.
“Water is such a critical part of who we all are,”…“Our bodies are made up mostly of water and yet our internal thirst drive does a surprisingly poor job of helping us stay properly hydrated. This is manifested in numerous ways, from headaches to joint pain, impaired exercise performance, lowered mental clarity and so much more. All of these can be improved by better hydration habits.”
Four years ago, LVL launched its first app, runBSX, and since then, it has further developed the BSX Insight which is an athlete wearable that tracks lactic acid buildup which is important for athletes who want to learn how hard they are working out. Initially, this company concentrated on personalized running coaching before it diversified. The current wearable being designed by LVL technologies (called LVL One) do not only track hydration, it also tracks other regular metrics like we have in most wearable such as heart rate, sleep, and self-reported mood. It wouldn’t take long for this product to hit the market as the company’s website states that it will ship in the summer of 2018.
Shankar Chandran, managing director and head of the Samsung Catalyst Fund, said in a statement.
“At Samsung, we’ve long believed that wearables will help usher in the next wave of innovation in digital health,”…“By measuring important data on hydration – which has eluded the industry for years – LVL Technologies has demonstrated the vast potential of wearables technology, and the impact it can have on consumers’ lives. As a leader in the wearables space, we at Samsung are thrilled to partner with a company that will help us push the boundaries of this technology even further.”
