High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major global health issue linked to premature death, stroke, heart disease, and dementia. It affects an estimated 1.3 billion people, with 95% of cases related to lifestyle factors. However, only 20% of affected individuals have their blood pressure under control. One reason for this is the inconvenience of traditional cuff devices used to measure hypertension – they’re expensive, bulky, and difficult to use.

Now, a Swiss startup called Aktiia claims to have developed a revolutionary technology that could simplify monitoring of high blood pressure. Based in Neuchatel, Switzerland, with operations in the U.S., Aktiia has received a CE mark for its innovative blood pressure monitoring technology. This CE mark certifies that the product meets EU safety, health, and environmental standards.

Unlike traditional hardware-based devices, Aktiia’s solution requires no calibration and works via an app on a smartphone. By placing a fingertip on the camera for 90 seconds, users can get accurate blood pressure and heart rate readings. This breakthrough, which leverages generative AI and 11 billion data points, is expected to be available in app form by 2025.

Aktiia’s CEO, Rags Gupta, heralded the new technology by highlighting its ability to provide medical-grade blood pressure and heart rate readings with just a smartphone camera. This advancement could transform how people screen for hypertension, leading to earlier interventions and cost savings in healthcare.

The technology received the CE mark under the EU’s new Medical Device Regulation, thanks to Aktiia’s extensive dataset of annotated data points. With $59.7 million raised in funding over five rounds, Aktiia has been able to innovate in the field of blood pressure monitoring. The development of its CALFREE technology in 2024 paved the way for accurate wrist-based blood pressure measurements.

Founded in 2018 in Switzerland, Aktiia is the brainchild of Dr. Mattia Bertschi and Dr. Josep Solà, who bring 15 years of research experience from the Swiss institute CSEM. Their focus on leveraging AI and software to improve hypertension monitoring marks a significant step forward in healthcare technology.