University of Southampton spinout aims to bring “continuous biochemical monitoring” to the bedside, enabling clinicians to track critical chemical biomarkers in near real time.
SOUTHAMPTON, UK, September 2026: Droplet Scientific, a University of Southampton spinout developing next-generation continuous biomarker monitoring technology, has raised £1.5 million in the first close of its pre-seed funding round.
The investment, led by DSW Ventures alongside TusPark Holdings and Hope Sky Capital, will accelerate early commercialisation, product development, regulatory certification and expansion of the company’s Southampton-based team.
Founded by microfluidics expert Professor Xize Niu and former Dyson engineer Junda Niu, Droplet Scientific is tackling a major unmet need in healthcare: while vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen can be monitored continuously, many critical chemical biomarkers still rely on intermittent blood sampling and laboratory analysis.
In intensive care, this can mean measurements being taken only every few hours, leaving clinicians with limited visibility of rapidly changing physiological conditions.
Droplet Scientific aims to change this.
Its technology enables automated biomarker measurements as frequently as every 20 seconds, creating continuous, near-real-time biochemical data streams. The ambition is to give clinicians a much clearer picture of how a patient’s condition is changing over time – in much the same way that conventional bedside monitors continuously track vital signs.
This shift from intermittent measurements to continuous biochemical data could transform the monitoring and management of rapidly evolving conditions such as sepsis, trauma, and cardiogenic shock, where early recognition of physiological change can be critical.
The company’s first product, AnalyteX™, is being developed initially for neuroscience intensive care units, where timely information is essential, and patient conditions can deteriorate rapidly.
Droplet Scientific’s platform combines proprietary microfluidic and optical technologies to miniaturise a wide range of established biochemical assays that are widely used across medicine and healthcare. Beyond critical care, the platform has potential applications in pharmaceutical development, academic research and bioprocessing.
Professor Xize Niu, founder of Droplet Scientific, said:
“We are incredibly excited about this next stage of Droplet Scientific’s journey. Our vision is to bring the laboratory closer to the patient – providing accurate, automated and continuous biochemical information that can help clinicians recognise changes earlier and make better-informed treatment decisions.
This investment will enable us to grow our team in Southampton, advance AnalyteX™ towards a regulated clinical product, and work closely with clinicians and industry partners to build a pipeline of continuous monitoring solutions with the potential to transform patient care.”
David Woolley, Head of Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property from the University of Southampton, said:
“Developing innovative products and solutions is a core impact objective of the University of Southampton’s research and innovation activities. With this new investment from DSW Ventures and co-investors, Prof Xize Niu and the Droplet Scientific team can bring this exciting innovation into the healthcare domain, progressing AnalyteXTM towards market, with the potential to meet the future’s increasingly personalised and potentially complex patient healthcare needs. We’re very proud and excited to launch, with all the team and supported by DSW Ventures, this latest Southampton spinout company.”
James Reston, Investment Manager at DSW Ventures, said:
“Droplet Scientific has developed a highly differentiated platform that addresses a significant unmet need in healthcare and life sciences. The ability to continuously measure chemical biomarkers could fundamentally change how clinicians understand and respond to rapidly evolving patient conditions.
“The combination of a genuinely differentiated technology, very encouraging commercial collaborations, and a fantastic team gives the company a strong foundation for its next phase. We are delighted to support Xize, Junda and the team as they bring this revolutionary technology to clinicians and patients.”
