Kidney Beam has secured a total of £610,000 in seed funding to help on its journey to revolutionise virtual kidney care.
The app offers physio-led virtual exercise, education, nutrition and wellbeing programmes tailored specifically for people with kidney disease.
The funding comes after a landmark clinical trial published in The Lancet Digital Health showed a significant improvement in patient-reported quality-of-life among those given access to Kidney Beam's 12-week digital kidney rehabilitation programme, as well as cost efficiencies for the NHS.
The new funding will enable Kidney Beam to expand its reach further into underserved communities, enhance the usability of its platform, and forge new partnerships. The next goal is to see Kidney Beam commissioned throughout the NHS, particularly as modelling predicts it will save the NHS £140m over three years if rolled out across the UK.
New research projects are also being carried out via the Kidney Beam platform over 2025. This includes a study into the benefits of education and exercise for people with polycystic kidney disease, a project on digital inclusion aimed at improving access for those with low digital literacy skills, a prehabilitation study for patients preparing for transplant, a mental health pilot and the platform's first research project aimed at children.
Lucy Sreeves, executive director at Kidney Research UK, said: ‘We have shown the rate of growth of the kidney population threatens to overwhelm the NHS, therefore investment in innovative approaches to patient care is essential. Kidney Beam offers just this, spearheading the shift from bricks and mortar-based care to digital delivery.'
Katie Bell, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kidney Beam, added: ‘This new investment reflects our commitment to transforming kidney health and showcases the resilience of innovation in this critical field. The statistics clearly highlight the need for continued support and investment in areas like kidney health, which remain underfunded yet vital.'
