Can a pair of socks help diabetics avoid foot amputations? That’s the idea behind Siren, which is making smart and washable fabric wearables. They have introduced a pair of socks to help diabetics monitor their overall foot health and avoid injuries.
The company has just raised $11.8 million in a new funding round.
Anathem Ventures led the funding round with backing from DCM, Founders Fund and Khosla. Moreover, DCM’s Jason Krikorian will join Siren’s board.
The co-founder of Siren, Ran Ma, states that amputations are due to injuries that go undetected for a long time. With time, diabetes can lead to nerve damage. When the nerve damage impacts feet, patients develop injuries without noticing. If these injuries aren’t treated, they can worsen to the point that amputation is required. Thousands of these amputations occur in the U.S. every year.
Siren’s socks detect the injuries that usually go unnoticed. It monitors six regions of the wearer’s foot. If one of the regions gets worse compared to others, it indicates inflammation due to injury. The socks connect to the patient’s phone through Bluetooth. This information goes to the doctors, who become concerned about the red flags.
The last bit is quite important. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are avoiding the doctor’s office to avoid exposure to the virus. Currently, offices are limiting their less urgent appointments.
Siren’s socks help the doctor monitor the patient’s health from a distance.
Although Siren is a relatively newer company, it has had a lot of success recently. The company has banked around $22 million in funding, which is around $11.8 billion in funding. Moreover, there was an undisclosed $6.5 billion Series A round in 2018 and a seed round.
Ran Ma states that currently, Siren is available in around ten states. Moreover, the company plans nationwide expansion by the end of this year.
