These UK research hubs are quietly powering the next wave of wearable tech

I don't know about you, but I got really into my smartwatch over Covid.

It was the days of the Peloton, being stuck inside—and my short-lived Fitbit got replaced by a Garmin. Personal metrics, increments, gamified.

I was hooked.

Then recently I became interested in writing about wearables when I read the news of Oura, the Finnish smart ring maker, hitting a $5.2 billion valuation after a $75 million Series D raise.

Oura’s rapid transition from a niche sleep-tracking device to a comprehensive health monitoring platform highlights the massive market opportunity and growing investor appetite in this space.

With 2.5 million rings sold and expected annual sales of $500 million in 2024, Oura’s success underscores the rising demand for innovative wearables.

This got me thinking about the market opportunity and starting to dig into which wearables ventures are coming down the pipeline.

/on your marks

The global wearable technology market is already massive and getting bigger. Valued at $61.3 billion in 2022, the market is projected to hit $493.26 billion by 2030.

Healthcare wearables alone are expected to contribute a significant portion, with devices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and clinical-grade health monitors fueling adoption.

This segment—for medical device wearables—is expected to reach $30.1 billion by 2026.

Companies integrating AI-driven analytics and biosensors are seeing high demand, with wearables reducing hospital stays, improving chronic disease management, and cutting clinical trial costs.

/get set

Who's in the running?

Charco Neurotech was founded by Lucy Jung in 2019, an alumni of Imperial College, Charco Neurotech is addressing Parkinson’s disease with its CUE1 device, a head-worn wearable that delivers vibrotactile stimulation.

Designed to alleviate symptoms such as slowness, stiffness, and freezing of gait, the device aims to improve patients’ movement and quality of life.

Charco’s progress has been impressive: over 1,600 patients have used the device, and the startup has raised $10 million in funding.

Clinical trials, including partnerships with hospitals like Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, are underway.

The company’s approach is inspired by 19th-century research on vibratory stimulation’s therapeutic effects, and it continues to refine the CUE1 device through real-world testing and feedback from Parkinson’s patients.

Samphire Neuroscience, co-founded by Emilé Radytė and Alex Cook, both Oxford University alumni, is taking a bold swing at menstrual pain and mood disorders.

Their product, Nettle, is a head-mounted wearable that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to target regions of the brain linked to pain perception and mood regulation.

The theory?

Apply a low electrical current to specific areas of the brain, increase neuroplasticity, and reduce both sensitivity and pain.

The device targets the motor cortex (for pain) and prefrontal cortex (for mood), addressing both the physical and psychological toll of periods.

Users wear it for five days before their period starts, and Samphire says the results have been remarkable.

Clinical trials back this up, with early users reporting a 52% average reduction in pain after just one cycle.

Radytė explains that they’re trying to change how women manage chronic symptoms—without popping pills or resorting to invasive treatments.

Backed by $2.3 million in pre-seed funding, including investors like SOSV and Firstpick, Samphire plans to secure EU regulatory approval soon and launch the device direct to consumers.

/go!

The cross-section of materials, electronics, AI needed in wearables makes me think research hubs are particularly likely to be good places for wearables startups to emerge from.

Imperial’s Wearable Technologies Lab focuses on creating devices that tackle real-world healthcare challenges, from epilepsy monitoring to respiratory care.

The lab covers the entire innovation stack—ultra-low power circuit design, advanced signal processing, rapid prototyping, and app development.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Processable Electronics (CPE) specializes in flexible and printable electronics, enabling entirely new applications for wearable sensors.

Recent breakthroughs include sprayable graphene biosensors and smart textiles that can monitor heart rate and respiration.

Oxford Bioelectronics Circuits and Systems pioneers bio-inspired electronics to enhance human-device interfaces, advancing wearable tech for healthcare.

Meanwhile, the Biomedical Signal Processing and Machine Learning Research Group crafts cutting-edge algorithms for real-time health monitoring, fueling next-gen smart wearables.

Who else is building early-stage wearables tech - let me know.