Hilo

Hilo was founded in Neuchâtel in 2018, when Mattia Bertschi and Josep Solà — after nearly 15 years of research at CSEM (Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology) — founded Aktiia to commercialise the technology they had developed: continuous blood pressure monitoring without an inflatable cuff. The problem they tackle is ancient and underappreciated: the blood pressure cuff has not changed substantially since 1881, yet hypertension — which affects nearly half of US adults — is measured only sporadically, in clinical settings or through occasional home checks. Hilo Core combines three components: a wrist optical sensor using photoplethysmography to continuously estimate blood pressure, an FDA-cleared cuff for periodic calibration, and a mobile platform for longitudinal cardiovascular trend analysis. The system generates 30–35 readings per day — including overnight measurements — allowing users and clinicians to identify long-term patterns rather than isolated snapshots. In 2025, the company rebranded from Aktiia to Hilo and closed a $42M Series B, bringing total funding to $100M. In July 2026, it added a $19M extension led by Dell Family Office — the investment office of Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell — to fund the US expansion and the launch of Hilo Core. The technology is validated by eight clinical studies, used by more than 200,000 people globally, and received FDA clearance as an over-the-counter (OTC) device — the first cuffless blood pressure monitor to achieve this recognition.