Last updated September 10, 2026

Beyond Diagnostics

Building smartphone-read tests to verify insulin activity before injection

Point-of-care DiagnosticsDiabetesHome Diagnostics

Insulin can lose biological activity after heat exposure, handling or prolonged storage, but patients generally cannot tell whether a dose still works as intended. Stability varies with the severity and duration of exposure, so temperature history alone cannot confirm how much activity remains.

Beyond Diagnostics is developing LUMIQ, a read by a smartphone camera and AI to estimate remaining insulin activity before injection. By testing the insulin itself, LUMIQ aims to show whether a dose remains active rather than inferring quality from storage history.

Key Investor Signals

CHF 659k Innosuisse project advances insulin-quality testing

Beyond Diagnostics is part of a CHF 659k -supported R&D project with to develop testing for insulin and medication quality.

First functional insulin-activity prototype built in 2026

lists a first functional prototype for insulin-activity testing as completed in February 2026, moving LUMIQ beyond a research-only concept.

In-vitro insulin-activity assay validated in 2025

Venture Kick reports the biological activity assay underlying Beyond Diagnostics’ insulin-quality approach was validated in vitro in July 2025.

Other Positive Signals

  • Founder previously built a diabetes startup that reached 2,000+ customers in its first year.
  • Founder co-authored a 2026 peer-reviewed study of 104 adults with type 1 diabetes across 19 countries.
  • Spun out of ’s INSPIRE Lab, where the insulin-activity research originated.
  • Won the ATTD Ignite Diabetes Tech Tank Award at the 2026 ATTD conference.
  • Selected for the 10-company Venture Leaders Medtech 2026 Swiss National Startup Team.

Team

Maren Schinz

Founder & CEO

  • Previously founded and led mysugarcase, a diabetes-accessories startup that reached 2,000+ customers in its first year.
  • Led the Insulin Activity Project at Diabetes Center Berne before spinning the work into Beyond Diagnostics.
  • Molecular biologist with a PhD and co-author of a 2026 peer-reviewed study on real-world insulin activity.

Product

LUMIQ is a point-of-care test designed to estimate remaining insulin activity before injection. A disposable strip generates a signal that is read with a smartphone camera and interpreted using AI, building on activity-testing methods developed at Diabetes Center Berne.

Measures biological activity directly

A small insulin sample is applied to a lateral-flow strip that produces a signal linked to biological activity. LUMIQ uses that signal to estimate how much activity remains.

Uses a smartphone for optical readout

The user photographs the strip with a smartphone. AI-supported image analysis reads the test lines and converts their optical signal into an estimate of remaining insulin activity.

Shows activity before injection

LUMIQ is designed to display an estimated percentage of remaining insulin activity plus a simple usability indication, giving users a clear result before injection.

Market Overview

Insulin is indispensable for people with type 1 diabetes and is also essential for tens of millions with type 2 diabetes. Because treatment is continuous and insulin must remain biologically active through storage and handling, the opportunity spans a large recurring population exposed to medication-quality risk.

Commercial demand is already substantial: the global insulin market generated about $19.4 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach $23.2 billion by 2030. Yet real-world storage excursions are common, and heat exposure can reduce potency, leaving a clear quality-control gap for direct testing at the point of use.

People needing insulin globally
~69M

WHO estimates 9M people have type 1 diabetes and more than 60M with type 2 diabetes require insulin.

Insulin activity lost at 37°C
Up to 18%

Two laboratory studies reported up to 18% activity loss after one week to 28 days at 37°C.

Storage logs outside recommended range
78.8%

78.8% of real-world insulin storage logs recorded at least one excursion outside the recommended range.

Global insulin market by 2030
$23.2B

The global insulin market is forecast to reach $23.2B by 2030, with 3.7% CAGR from 2025.

Comparable Outcomes

Point-of-care PCR tests

Mesa Biotech / Accula

Acquired for $450M upfront + $100M milestones

Mesa Biotech developed Accula, a rapid PCR-based point-of-care testing platform for infectious diseases, designed for use in physician offices, pharmacies and other near-patient settings. Thermo Fisher acquired Mesa Biotech in 2021 for about $450M in cash, with up to $100M in additional milestone payments.

Multi-assay point-of-care

LumiraDx

Acquired by Roche for $295M

LumiraDx developed a compact point-of-care platform running immunoassay and clinical-chemistry tests near patients across decentralized care settings. Roche completed the acquisition in July 2024, paying $295 million for LumiraDx’s Point of Care technology after providing up to $55 million in funding support.

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Sources

This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.

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