Kidney Beam secures seed funding for exercise and lifestyle app
- 23 January 2025
- Digital Health Pitchfest finalist Kidney Beam has secured £610,000 in seed funding
- Funding was led by Kidney Research UK, with participation from the National Kidney Federation and the Sheffield Area Kidney Association
- Kidney Beam will use the funding to expand its reach further into underserved communities, enhance the usability of its platform, and forge new partnerships
Digital Health Pitchfest finalist Kidney Beam has secured £610,000 in seed funding, including a contribution from charity Kidney Research UK.
The evidence-based app, which was named as one of 2024’s NHS Innovation Accelerator companies, offers physio-led virtual exercise, education, nutrition and wellbeing programmes for people with kidney disease.
Kidney Beam will use the funding to expand its reach further into underserved communities, enhance the usability of its platform, and forge new partnerships.
Katie Bell, cofounder and chief executive at Kidney Beam, said: “We are proud to lead Kidney Beam in a health tech landscape where systemic funding disparities persist.
“This new investment reflects our commitment to transforming kidney health and showcases the resilience of innovation in this critical field.”
The funding follows a clinical trial, published in The Lancet Digital Health in January 2024, which found improvement in patient-reported quality-of-life among those given access to Kidney Beam’s 12-week digital kidney rehabilitation programme.
The trial was funded by Kidney Research UK and developed in partnership with clinicians at Kings College Hospital London.
Lucy Sreeves, executive director at Kidney Research UK, said: “Born out of a healthcare emergency, when kidney patients were at risk of being denied the support they desperately needed, peer-reviewed research has shown Kidney Beam’s lasting value, in terms of patient outcomes and, importantly, cost savings.
“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.”
Kidney disease affects one in 10 adults in the UK, and costs the economy £7bn annually, according to Kidney Research UK. However, there is a lack of kidney-specific rehabilitation programmes, due in part to a shortage of skilled professionals.
Sharlene Greenwood, cofounder and chief medical officer for Kidney Beam, said: “This seed funding is more than just capital – it is validation of the urgent need for innovation in kidney care.
“We are incredibly grateful for the steadfast support from our investors and partners, including that from Kidney Research UK as our lead investor, the National Kidney Federation, the Sheffield Area Kidney Association and lots of people from the kidney community who invested via a crowdfunding platform.
“Together, we are committed to delivering better health outcomes for those living with kidney disease.”
Research projects planned via the Kidney Beam platform in 2025 include a study into the benefits of education and exercise for people with polycystic kidney disease, a project on digital inclusion aimed for those with low digital literacy skills, a prehabilitation study for patients preparing for transplant, a mental health pilot, and “Kidney Beam Kids”, the platform’s first research project aimed at children.
Kidney Beam was one of six revenue-generating startups to reach the final of the Pitchfest competition at Digital Health Rewired in March 2024.
The firm also won the “Company generating the greatest NHS benefit” award from the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator in 2023. Its next goal is be commissioned throughout the NHS.
