UC Santa Barbara startup Milo Sensors has launched a beta release of ION™, a wearable health device with continuous monitoring of alcohol consumption to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

ION™ provides its users with self- or supervised-monitoring of alcohol consumption through a mobile app without breathalyzers. Instead, ION™ analyzes alcohol consumption through the user’s perspiration.

The wearable is a discreet and comfortable device with the goal of promoting accountability in order to reach personal health goals. The device is paired to a smartphone and tracks via a mobile application. Subscriptions begin at $299 per month, with additional beta tester discounts and research packages.

Stephanie Schudel, Milo Sensors Product Manager, said, “Earlier this year, we received preliminary Beta Tester feedback, which guided us towards some of our new features, such as tamper detection and water resistance Technology. I am excited to share our new product with our existing Beta Testers and look forward to introducing ION™ to those who may be searching for a continuous, self-monitoring tool intended to promote a healthy lifestyle.”

Milo Sensors was founded in 2015 after winning the UCSB New Venture Competition and went on to win a host of additional grants and prizes. The digital health startup remains closely connected to the UCSB campus, making use of the CNSI Technology Incubator and the Materials Research Lab, one of the world’s top five materials research facilities.

Milo Sensors received national recognition from NIH/NIAAA, winning a $100,000 Challenge Prize in 2016 and a $223,0000 SBIR Phase I Grant in 2017. In 2019, the company was awarded a $1 Million SBIR grant by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Most recently, Milo Sensors secured a $1 million SBIR Phase II grant from NIH to support further business and research development.

CEO Bob Lansdorp says of the launch, “I am incredibly proud of our new direction: ION™ is more than just a party-gag that you pull out of the drawer for special occasions. I believe that ION™ will provide a much-needed way to promote, track, and encourage choices, which, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help millions of people live well.”

Executive Director of Technology at CNSI, Tal Margalith adds, “We are thrilled to see Milo Sensors release their ION™ product to the market. It’s exciting to be able to watch a company go from New Venture competition, through incubation, to spinout, then production.”