Stress not only impacts individuals negatively but also has significant repercussions for employers. The American Institute of Stress, a non-profit organisation, indicates that workplace stress costs U.S. companies more than $300 billion each year when considering factors like absenteeism, reduced productivity, employee turnover, healthcare expenses, and accidents.
A common method for assessing stress levels is through the monitoring of cortisol, a hormone. This topic has gained so much attention that ‘cortisol face’ has even become a popular subject on TikTok. To take a scientific approach, it is essential to measure cortisol throughout the day, as the fluctuations in its levels are what truly matter.
According to Maria Hahn, CEO of Nutrix, by the end of the day, the cortisol levels should ideally be at their lowest. Nutrix has recently introduced CortiSense, a device that measures cortisol in saliva and was awarded the CES Innovation Award 2025 in the Digital Health category.
Providing patients with a home device is not only more convenient but also facilitates tracking cortisol levels immediately after waking, Hahn explained to StartupSuperb.
CortiSense is developed in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and integrates with Nutrix’s digital health platform, gSense. This platform offers a range of services including continuous glucose monitoring, artificial intelligence-driven dietary management, and telemedicine.
Additionally, this aligns with Nutrix’s original mission to address diabetes. While the company has shifted focus towards CortiSense, its commitment to addressing chronic diseases remains strong. The Switzerland-based entrepreneur highlighted that cortisol influences many other hormones, making it crucial for both mental and metabolic health.
This innovative vision has attracted support from Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency, alongside private investments. To date, the startup has secured $4 million, which includes an undisclosed $2.5 million seed round led by Polish impact fund Simpact and Japanese deep tech fund OIST-Lifetime Ventures. The Mayo Clinic also expressed interest in the project after meeting the team at CES 2024.
The startup aims to raise a significant Series A funding to support its growth, yet its seed round has already initiated the U.S. launch of CortiSense. With Mayo Clinic’s backing, plans are underway to establish offices in Silicon Valley.
Nutrix has previous experience in expanding its market; its gSense platform is already integrated with Chile’s public insurance system, benefitting from support through the public programme, Start-Up Chile. Furthermore, the Swiss health tech company ventured into Mexico and Peru in 2024.
However, Nutrix is now facing challenges related to catering to corporations rather than individual consumers. While less common in the U.S., countries like Chile, Mexico, and Peru mandate health screenings as part of an employer’s responsibility towards employee wellness, as long as private health information remains confidential.
With the U.S. emerging as the primary focus for Nutrix’s CortiSense development, Hahn will need to clarify that the company plans to collect only aggregated data. Although promoting the economic implications of workplace stress may not appeal to everyone, it serves as a necessary reminder to employers that mental health is an integral part of overall health.
Cortisol is crucial for women’s health, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, yet this area has been largely overlooked in research and studies. Hahn intends to allocate part of Nutrix’s funding towards exploring these connections further, emphasising the matter as particularly significant from her perspective as a woman.
