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3-2-1 Allergies
Priyanka Vaidya
April 07, 2025
Allergies are hypersensitive reactions of the immune system to substances that are typically harmless, such as pollen, dust, food, or medications. Symptoms vary depending on the allergen and can include sneezing, runny nose, itchy skin or eyes, hives, swelling, coughing, or wheezing. Severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Allergies can affect the skin, respiratory system, digestive system, and more, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to serious complications. Some common allergies are food allergies triggered by milk, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts; pollen allergies caused by pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds; and animal dander allergies triggered by microscopic skin flakes or pet saliva and urine proteins. Some people are also allergic to mold spores in damp environments, which trigger respiratory symptoms and asthma.
Globally, allergies impact a significant portion of the population. Allergic rhinitis affects approximately 10–30% of people worldwide. Sensitization to environmental allergens, such as pollen or dust mites, is present in up to 40% of the global population. In developed countries, roughly one in three children suffers from at least one allergic disorder, including asthma, eczema, or food allergies.
3 startups making an impact in this space:
Company | |||
Location | US/Israel | Europe | US |
Modality | Detection | Diagnosis | Therapeutics |
Descriptor | Remote monitoring for families and individuals at risk of life-threatening allergic reactions. | Allergios direct allergy test enables patients to be better diagnosed and effectively treated by visualizing allergy. | Personalized vibrational sound therapy to maintain optimal nasal airway health. |
Core Problem | For patients with severe allergic reactions, timely intervention is critical. | 20% of the world population suffers from allergies, but current testing methods are insufficient and ambiguous. | There are no drug-free solutions for allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. Patients rely on corticosteroid sprays as the first line of defense. |
Solution | Anjo’s AI predicts and detects early signs of severe allergic reactions using continuous remote monitoring. | Allergios designed a practical, in-vitro diagnostic system to diagnose allergies by visualizing the allergic response. | FDA-approved wearable device that offers personalized, clinically proven relief from allergies and nasal congestion. |
Product Suite | Daily Risk Factor ID that identifies risk factors increasing the likelihood of severe reactions. Continuous Monitoring for wellness reporting. Ephinephrine Auto Injector separation alert that notifies when the child misplaces or forgets their Epinephrine Injector. Advanced Allergic Event log that tracks events for allergist reviews. | Allergios system including a disposable microfluidic chip. GranulEye is an optical reader that visually analyzes how blood serum reacts. AI-based analysis software allows allergy tests to run safely and efficiently. | SONU band emits resonant sound waves that relieve nasal congestion. SONUCheck assesses nasal breathing status by checking for subtle voice changes. SONUCast Allergy forecast provides a real-time, personalized allergy forecast. |
Regulatory Status | Pending | Pending | FDA-approved |
Funding Stage | Pre-seed | Seed | Seed |
Team | One of the co-founders is a parent whose child suffers from severe allergic reactions. | The co-founders and inventors are renowned scientists from Medical universities. | Inspired by one of the founders’ journeys to combat lifelong allergies. |
Traction | Partnered with Samsung. | Public-private partnership with Wageningen University. | The D2C product suite is gaining traction alongside research partnerships with prestigious academic institutions. |
2 actionable insights to inspire your strategy.
Wearable and portable technology Wearable devices monitor vital signs and detect early signs of severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis. Wearables are being designed for therapeutic purposes as well as for remote monitoring use cases to track histamine levels and assess reaction sensitivity. GPS-enabled wearables track allergen hotspots and provide personalized forecasts for environmental allergens. Portable detection devices allow users to test for food allergens within minutes, offering a convenient solution for managing food allergies. | Immunotherapy advancements New technologies focus on improving immunotherapy precision for long-term allergy relief through customized antigen extracts and treatment plans. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), the only treatment targeting the root causes of allergies, modifies immune responses to allergens, offering long-term relief and reducing medication needs. Several alternative techniques are being explored to improve efficacy and reduce systemic reactions. One technique is using allergen-coated patches to induce immune tolerance without invasive procedures. |
1 key resource to deepen your understanding.
For a deeper dive to learn about what happens inside your body during an allergic reaction, ranging from itchy eyes to anaphylaxis, take a listen to this episode from The Itch podcast:
And that’s all for today. See you next Monday!
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