Kidney Beam
Digital exercise and lifestyle management for kidney disease.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | £610k | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Kidney Beam is a digital health company offering a clinically-proven application focused on exercise, education, and wellbeing for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The platform provides live and on-demand classes and personalized programs led by physiotherapists and exercise professionals, some of whom are also living with CKD.
The company was established as a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. It originated from a collaboration between Beam, a technology platform for chronic health conditions, and King's College Hospital. The co-founders of Beam, serial tech entrepreneur Katie Bell (CEO) and former NHS physiotherapist Pamela Scarborough, were joined by Dr. Sharlene Greenwood (Chief Medical Officer), a Consultant Physiotherapist at King's College Hospital with over 20 years of experience in renal rehabilitation. Dr. Greenwood's extensive background in developing exercise services for CKD patients was pivotal in adapting the Beam platform for the specific needs of the kidney disease community.
Kidney Beam operates on a subscription-based model, but it also partners with healthcare providers, such as the NHS, to offer the service for free to patients in certain areas. The company's primary clients are individuals with kidney disease, who can access the platform directly or via referral from their clinical teams. Kidney Beam's business strategy is focused on being commissioned throughout the NHS, leveraging clinical trial data that shows the platform is a cost-effective intervention that can save the healthcare system significant costs. The company secured £610,000 in seed funding in early 2025, with lead investment from Kidney Research UK and participation from other kidney charities and a crowdfunding campaign, to expand its reach and enhance the platform.
The platform's key features include tailored programs for various stages of kidney disease, such as pre- and post-transplant, dialysis, and rare conditions. A multi-center randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet Digital Health demonstrated that the app significantly improves mental health-related quality of life, physical function, and patient self-management capabilities. The company is a 2024 NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow and an alumnus of the DigitalHealth.London accelerator, which has supported its integration into the UK's healthcare system.
Keywords: chronic kidney disease, digital health, renal rehabilitation, patient self-management, telehealth, exercise therapy, health tech, lifestyle management, physiotherapy, quality of life, NHS innovation, clinical trials, subscription healthcare, virtual care, patient education, King's College Hospital, Kidney Research UK, Dr. Sharlene Greenwood, Katie Bell, Pamela Scarborough