New York, NY – July 10, 2025 – Phenotap, Inc. today announced it has been awarded $3 million in a Program Related Investment in the form of a loan from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support the continued development and optimization of KetoTap™ Core, a novel enzymatic technology, to make it active and stable enough to be used as part of a continuous ketone sensor that can help prevent the occurrence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) for people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
KetoTap™ Core is based on a proprietary beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) oxidase engineered at the Siegel Lab at UC Davis. This breakthrough enzyme enables a simpler and more stable detection method for BHB, a key ketone body, and has the potential to significantly improve the reliability and accessibility of ketone monitoring for individuals living with T1D.
Current ketone sensors rely on a hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) enzymatic reaction with a Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) cofactor as a mediator. This approach poses substantial challenges in sensor stability, cost, and performance. By contrast, KetoTap™ Core’s approach mirrors the glucose oxidase chemistry used in continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), paving the way for more robust, cost-effective, and scalable ketone sensing devices for people living with T1D.
“We are honored by the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s support,” said Giovanni Battistini, CEO of Phenotap. “This funding will enable us to complete the optimization of our proprietary BHB oxidase, making it suitable for use in ketone sensing devices that empower people with type 1 diabetes to better manage their health and prevent life-threatening complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis.”
KetoTap™ Core marks a significant milestone in the effort to bring continuous, reliable, and ketone monitoring technology to people living with T1D and their healthcare providers.
Dr. Sean Sullivan, Program Officer at the Helmsley Charitable Trust, added: “Helmsley has long supported efforts to bring a continuous ketone monitor (CKM) to market, as we believe an integrated CGM-CKM solution can transform care and help reduce the risk of DKA for people living with type 1 diabetes.”
About Phenotap
Phenotap is an early-stage company with the mission of improving people’s lives through biosensing and metabolic awareness. The company is currently developing breakthrough ketone-sensing technology: KetoTap™ Core and KetoTap™, a non-invasive (no needles), continuous ketone monitor.
