Last updated September 16, 2026

DXcrete

Developing a sweat-sensing patch for frequent kidney-function monitoring

WearablesBiomarkersKidney Disease

Kidney function is usually checked with blood and urine tests at scheduled appointments. That leaves long intervals between measurements, while each result captures only one point in time. More frequent monitoring still depends on repeat sampling, laboratory analysis and clinical visits.

DXcrete is developing BEA, a skin-worn patch designed to assess kidney function from sweat. It uses electrowetting to move nanolitre droplets from sweat glands to a sensor, supporting higher-frequency monitoring outside the hospital.

Key Investor Signals

Philips licence secures access to core sweat-sensing IP

DXcrete signed a 2026 licence with Philips covering sweat-sensing technology, including the electrowetting patent family used in BEA.

Peer-reviewed validation of core sweat-handling technology

A 2024 paper demonstrated on-body collection and transport of ~1 nL sweat droplets at resting sweat rates using wearable electrowetting.

€185,000 NWO Faculty of Impact funding secured

NWO Faculty of Impact awarded €185,000 to commercialise Emma Moonen’s sweat-sensing research, providing non-dilutive funding to move the technology toward a company product.

Other Positive Signals

  • Received Metropoolregio Eindhoven support with LouwersHanique to begin pilot production of precision glass components for BEA.
  • CrossRoads Vlaanderen-Nederland backed DXcrete to extend its low-sweat sensing platform into continuous lactate monitoring.
  • Secured funding from Brabant Startup Fund to advance development of its BEA kidney-monitoring platform.

Team

Emma Moonen

Co-founder & CEO

  • Cum laude PhD in Mechanical Engineering from TU/e, where she developed the sweat-sensing platform behind DXcrete.
  • Lead author of the 2024 Lab on a Chip paper demonstrating wearable electrowetting for on-body sweat handling.
  • Researched flexible transparent electrodes at the University of Cambridge Bioelectronics Laboratory.

Timon Grob

Co-founder & CPO

  • Spent 24 years at Philips across medical wearables, connected sensing and healthcare interoperability.
  • Product owner in Philips’ Connected Sensing Venture, covering wearable monitors including .
  • Led a Philips Research healthcare-interoperability programme and a 10-person specialist team.

Product

DXcrete is building BEA, a skin-worn patch that measures creatinine from trace sweat to support more frequent kidney-function monitoring outside the clinic. The system actively moves tiny sweat droplets to an on-chip sensor, allowing measurements while the wearer is at rest.

Handles sweat at resting rates

BEA collects sweat from individual glands and uses electrowetting to move ~1 nL droplets across an electrode array, so the platform can operate with the very low sweat volumes produced at rest.

Measures creatinine on-chip

The disposable microfluidic chip routes sweat droplets to a sensor designed to measure creatinine, a standard biomarker used to assess kidney filtration.

Skin-worn format for repeated monitoring

BEA combines the sweat-handling chip, creatinine sensor and electronics in a small patch designed to collect and digitise readings outside a laboratory workflow.

Market Overview

Chronic kidney disease can progress for years without obvious symptoms. Kidney function is followed using blood creatinine and urine protein tests, so clinicians see isolated measurements rather than a continuous trend and deterioration can be difficult to spot between routine checks.

The commercial opportunity is higher-frequency monitoring for patients at risk of progression. Today that means repeated sampling and laboratory analysis; a reliable skin-worn creatinine sensor could shift part of that monitoring into the home while keeping the measurement tied to a biomarker already used in care.

Dutch people living with chronic kidney damage
1.8M

More than 10% of people in the Netherlands have chronic kidney damage.

Annual dialysis cost per patient
€80,000–€120,000

is among the most expensive treatments covered by Dutch basic health insurance, costing €80,000 to €120,000 per patient each year.

2025 global kidney function tests market
$1.1B

Grand View Research values the 2025 kidney function tests market at $1.1B, covering blood, urine and clearance testing.

Kidney function when symptoms may appear
30%

Symptoms often appear only after kidney function falls to about 30%, so deterioration can remain unnoticed until late.

Comparable Outcomes

Home-based sleep diagnostics

Itamar Medical

Acquired for $538M

Itamar Medical developed WatchPAT, a device for diagnosing sleep apnea at home. It moved sleep testing outside specialist laboratories and made it easier to access. The company provides a precedent for building strategic value in accessible sleep medicine. ZOLL Medical acquired Itamar Medical in 2021 in a transaction valued at approximately $538 million.

Wearable clinical monitoring

Preventice Solutions

Acquired for $925M upfront + up to $300M milestones

Preventice Solutions developed the BodyGuardian family of wearable cardiac monitors, combining ambulatory sensors with a cloud platform and diagnostic service that turned continuous data into clinical reports for physicians. Boston Scientific acquired Preventice in 2021 for $925 million upfront, with up to $300 million in commercial milestone payments. Preventice generated $158 million in net sales in 2020.

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Sources

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

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