SAN DIEGO, CA–(San Diego Business Journal, Dec 12th, 2014) – Electrozyme LLC, a local startup that has attracted the financial support of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, has developed a technology for fitness-related wearable devices that will tell users when they are nearing dehydration — and what to do about it.
The company’s founder and CEO, Joshua Windmiller, said that 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated, which reduces physical performance and cognitive function.
“Outside of the performance arena, dehydration is the No. 1 cause of daytime fatigue,” Windmiller said. “And in up to two-fifths of the population, the thirst mechanism is so weak it’s often mistaken for hunger. You don’t have to look very far to understand that proper hydration is an extremely important, yet poorly understood concept.”
Know Sweat
Electrozyme’s technology comes in the form of a biosensor that analyzes the chemicals in a person’s sweat. The sensor collects data from the body and reports back to a mobile application or device in real time. The technology can warn the user when he or she is running low on electrolytes and when to take a break and rehydrate. It can even give a preemptive warning signal when the biosensor determines that the user may drop from heat exhaustion.
Founded in 2012, Electrozyme emerged from Windmiller’s work with biosensors for his doctoral degree at the University of California, San Diego. The company received seed money from Cuban, as well as about $1.5 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health.
Windmiller and co-founder Jared Tangney, who also earned a doctorate from UCSD, are also working with a Fortune 500 strategic partner who Windmiller declined to name.
