Hormone Intelligence: The New Frontier of Biomarker Tracking

May 9

Exploring the rise of continuous hormone monitoring across fertility, wellness, & beyond.

Hormone measurement is undergoing a transformation: from occasional in-person serum-based testing to at-home real-time monitoring across various biofluids that optimizes convenience and the generation of higher resolution data. Within women’s health, hormone monitoring is used for infertility evaluation, IVF, pregnancy monitoring, evaluating hormonal changes during puberty and perimenopause, and diagnosing/monitoring menstrual irregularities and reproductive disorders like PCOS. Beyond this, individuals are increasingly interested in biomarkers of health for lifestyle and wellness, including wearables to track ovulation, sleep, and stress management.

The standard of care for hormone testing is currently a single blood draw “snapshot” analyzed in a lab – a method that is accurate, but also, particularly if repeated measures are needed, invasive, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. The landscape is changing as new technologies enable hormone monitoring through blood alternatives like interstitial fluid, saliva, sweat, and urine. Emerging wearable biosensors aim to accurately and non-invasively track hormones continuously as a tool to revolutionize women’s health not unlike the way continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) revolutionized diabetes care.

The global endocrine testing market size was estimated at USD 12.19 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2024 to 2030, reflecting strong demand for hormone measuring solutions within fertility, menopause, metabolic health, endocrine disorders, and beyond. Investors and innovators see continuous hormone measurement as a key stepstone in the new era of personalized health data. But is more data always better? And what do these emerging technologies still have left to prove?

What exactly is “continuous” hormone measurement?

Continuous glucose monitors, which disrupted the $50B diabetes management device market, use a high frequency of discrete measurements (every 1-5 minutes). By comparison, emerging continuous hormone monitoring solutions vary widely, and early prototypes operate at a frequency of every ~20-60 minutes. Similarly, compared to the 5-15 minute lag time of glucose diffusing into interstitial fluid, the increased lag time and noise due to slower hormonal fluctuation, lower concentrations, and pulsatile hormone release present challenges to continuous hormone monitoring.

Do we have to choose between accuracy and convenience?

In parallel, non-continuous at-home testing is becoming more accessible. Saliva and urine-based assays, for instance, capture bioactive hormone levels and allow frequent sampling without needles. While these aren’t currently as accurate as blood draws, for most use cases, they provide sufficient accuracy with the added benefit of convenience. In the classic biotech paradox, we need more data to prove validity against the trusty blood draw, but we need to establish human clinical validity to get access to widespread data. That’s why pioneers and capital in this space are critical to drive innovation forward.

Innovation Mapping

The hormone monitoring ecosystem spans nimble startups, established diagnostics companies, and new partnerships bridging tech and healthcare. We can categorize key players by technology type and use-case:

Continuous Wearable Sensors:

Several startups are pioneering wearable devices for round-the-clock hormone tracking. All of these companies are early-stage and pre-product. Many of these rely on aptamer-based biosensing (see Technological Challenges section for an explanation of aptamer sensing technology), and are being developed primarily as wearables.

Biosens8 (US) is developing a microbe-based sensing technology for hormone monitoring, specifically targeting IVF applications. Unlike competitors relying on aptamer-based biosensors, Biosens8 claims clinical-grade accuracy but has not publicly disclosed details on its IP or validation data. Their two primary use cases are IVF and cortisol tracking for athletic performance.

Impli (Switzerland/US) is developing a small implantable subdermal biosensor that continuously monitors fertility-related hormones for the duration of an IVF cycle. The miniaturized biosensor is similarly composed of an aptamer-based microneedle array technology that relays real-time hormone readings to a smartphone, and it’s backed by the Plaxco Lab at UC Santa Barbara to navigate barriers with aptamer efficacy loss. They are also developing a less-invasive wearable microneedle patch. Bayer’s partnership with Impli underscores the promise of this approach, with the intention to not only optimize IVF outcomes, but develop longer-term monitor technologies for menopause, cardiovascular health, stress management, and beyond.

Level Zero Health (UK/US) is developing a microneedle patch that measures hormones in interstitial fluid in real time. Their DNA aptamer-based sensor platform aims to track progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone continuously without blood draws. Of note, their initial product requires manual insertion of a sensing strip into a readout unit, with the more continuous low power bluetooth-enabled product still in development. Although initial testing in simulated interstitial fluid has been promising, human trials proving that the accuracy of aptamer-based interstitial fluid measurements stands up to the tried and true blood draw (and navigating the regulatory process) will be a necessity for adoption in their initial GTM strategy, IVF. The team recently closed a $6.9M pre-seed round to take on these challenges.

Persperity’s (US) sweat-based sensor again highlights the pioneering work of academic science on aptamer technology, spun out of Professor Wei Gao’s lab’s research at Caltech. While the promise of a sweat-based sensor is undoubtedly much more appealing to consumers than more invasive alternatives, more data and refining of algorithms associating sweat measurements to the standard of care is needed to establish sweat-based hormone monitoring as a viable player, especially in use cases like IVF and birth control that necessitate a high level of accuracy. This technology may be more viable for longer term monitoring such as menopause, and even cognitive health. They closed a $1M pre-seed led by Freeflow Ventures to accelerate the development of this technology.

Wearable hormone tech isn’t limited to fertility and reproductive health – for example, Corti and Lume Health are developing sweat-based sensors focused on stress and sleep hormones (cortisol and melatonin) for wellness tracking.

Alongside biochemical tests, completely non-invasive wearables are expanding into hormone and cycle tracking. Oura and Natural Cycles have partnered to use temperature data for fertility prediction, and emerging players Incora and Tempdrop offer continuous temperature-based ovulation tracking. These non-invasive approaches are rising in lifestyle and wellness domains, as well as pregnancy and menopause, by detecting cycle phase changes via physiological signals. Although these don’t produce the same high-resolution quantitative data as measuring hormones directly, perhaps the collection of more data and the leveraging of AI will make more accurate and predictive algorithms based on these biomarkers possible.

At-Home Testing Kits and Devices:

While non-continuous hormone measurement may not be as sexy and seamless to use, the technology is much more well-established and is still a jump forward in convenience and data resolution compared to blood draws. These at-home test kits which are commercially available use saliva or urine collection and a smartphone-connected reader.

Eli (Canada) has introduced the “Hormometer,” a smartphone-powered saliva test system that analyzes cortisol and progesterone. Eli’s technology, which is currently in beta testing, uses a small stick reader and microfluidic cartridge to relay real-time hormone results to your smartphone.

Inne (Germany) provides a biosensor “mini lab” for daily saliva testing of progesterone to track fertility. Since launching, Inne’s system (cleared as a medical device in Europe) has collected hundreds of thousands of data points, enabling women to monitor hormonal cycles daily. Their clinical study to test contraceptive efficacy demonstrated 100% effectiveness with perfect use and 92% effectiveness with typical use, comparable to the pill.

Mira (US) provides a handheld analyzer for urine hormone strips that tracks luteinizing hormone (LH), the estrogen metabolite E3G, the progesterone metabolite PdG, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Their test kits essentially bring laboratory immunoassays into the home setting with Bluetooth connectivity for people trying to conceive and track their cycle. Beyond providing additional support to individuals with PCOS and other hormone imbalances,, they plan to expand into measuring cortisol, testosterone, and ketones with the Mira Analyzer.

Oova (US) offers a kit with urine test strips and an AI-powered app that together measure LH, E3G, and PdG each day to pinpoint ovulation and detect perimenopause. The Mount Sinai spinout has been adopted by fertility clinics and patients to quantitatively track cycle hormones at home, benefiting women with PCOS or irregular cycles who need closer monitoring.

While these solutions are a wave forward in convenience, they present certain limitations. Some users find them challenging to integrate into daily routines due to the need for consistent sample collection and precise timing. While this may be less user friendly for longer term use cases like menopause and general wellness, those undergoing fertility challenges and hormonal imbalance are more willing to take on the added burden if it means a positive shift in outcomes. Additionally, while these devices bring hormone tracking closer to real-time, they still rely on indirect markers (e.g., metabolites in urine or saliva), which may not always correlate perfectly with blood hormone levels. Variability in hydration, diet, and user technique can further affect accuracy. These technologies require large-scale validation studies to be fully accepted in clinical practice and may never be viable for use cases like IVF, which require a high level of accuracy and reliability.

Cost poses another challenge, as many of these devices require initial hardware purchases ($100-300) followed by ongoing subscription fees for test strips or analytical services. Currently, most hormone monitoring solutions are classified as wellness products rather than medical necessities, leaving them outside standard insurance coverage and proves a significant barrier to widespread accessibility. Only companies targeting specific clinical applications (like fertility treatment) have better prospects for establishing medical necessity and securing coverage through existing healthcare channels. Without insurance integration, these technologies risk remaining limited to affluent early adopters rather than reaching the broader population that could benefit from them.

See Go-to-Market section for more on business models and commercialization strategies.

Lab Testing and Established Players:

In parallel, traditional diagnostic companies and new digital health startups are improving access to hormone tests via remote sample collection and telehealth. Everlywell, LetsGetChecked, and others offer mail-in kits for hormone panels (measuring fertility hormones, thyroid, stress hormones, etc.) that users can do with finger-prick blood or saliva at home, bridging a gap between clinical labs and consumer convenience. Functional medicine platforms like Rupa Health have further expanded this ecosystem by providing practitioners with access to specialty lab testing, including comprehensive hormone panels from multiple lab partners through a single digital interface. Similarly, Precision Analytical's DUTCH Test has gained popularity among integrative health practitioners for its detailed analysis of sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites from dried urine samples. These specialized tests occupy a middle ground between conventional medical testing and direct-to-consumer solutions, typically ordered through practitioners but featuring consumer-friendly collection methods and detailed result interpretations.

While these are not technological innovations in sensing, they play a key role in the ecosystem by normalizing at-home hormone health checks. Established healthcare companies are also entering the space through partnerships: for instance, Bayer's collaboration with Impli shows a major pharma investing in hormone sensor tech to complement fertility treatments. However, many of these tests are available through primary care providers and may be covered by insurance, meaning consumers are willing to pay out of pocket for the convenience, accessibility, and the sense of control that comes with at-home alternatives.

Large diagnostics firms (Roche, Abbott, etc.) are watching this domain closely and offer a route for potential exits – Abbott has hinted at expanding its biosensor portfolio (which includes glucose and ketone monitors) into other analytes to proactively measure health, and one can envision future involvement in hormone tracking as tech matures. So far, the most notable incumbents in hormone monitoring have been fertility test makers like Clearblue (with decades-old home ovulation kits), but the new entrants are rapidly extending capabilities far beyond a yes/no ovulation test to continuous and quantitative tracking.

Beyond Fertility: Sports, Stress, and Sleep

While fertility and traditional women’s health applications are a catalyst, hormone monitoring has broad relevance for women’s health. Athletics and sports performance is one arena recognizing the value of hormone data. Coaches and athletes have long tracked hormones like testosterone and cortisol through periodic lab tests to gauge training stress and recovery. Now, with startups developing real-time devices measuring analytes like cortisol, an athlete could potentially monitor their stress hormone during training and recovery in a noninvasive way. As hormone sensors advance, we could see wearable patches for lactate, cortisol, even muscle-building hormones as part of an athlete’s toolkit for real-time biofeedback.

Cycle syncing—tailoring nutrition, training, and recovery to hormonal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle—has gained widespread popularity on social media and among women's health startups. This approach aims to optimize performance by aligning physical activity with menstrual cycle phases. Leading period tracking apps like Flo, Clue, and Natural Cycles are expanding beyond basic cycle prediction to offer exercise and nutrition recommendations based on cycle phases. The CycleSyncing Study partnership between Mira and FLO Living seeks to validate cycle syncing protocols with more quantitative data, highlighting the role of these devices in advancing hormone-related research studies. Platforms like Wild.AI and SyncN are ones to watch, utilizing user-tracked data and even syncing with Garmin, Oura, and Apple Health to provide cycle-based training insights. While scientific validation for cycle syncing is still emerging, these platforms are collecting unprecedented datasets that could eventually reveal actionable patterns for optimizing training, nutrition, and recovery based on hormonal phases. Wearable and at-home monitoring innovations could bring cycle syncing even more into the mainstream, enabling precision training based on real-time hormonal fluctuations rather than retrospective tracking.

Another key application is stress and mental health management. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, fluctuates throughout the day and spikes under acute stress. Traditionally, capturing cortisol patterns required multiple saliva samples or cumbersome lab visits. With the advent of wearable cortisol monitors, individuals could get an ongoing readout of their physiological stress. This has intriguing implications for both fertility and broader applications like mental health – researchers suggest it could help people with depression or PTSD anticipate and manage symptom flares by closely observing cortisol trends.

Even for general wellness, seeing how your body responds hormonally to daily events (meetings, exercise, sleep, screen time) can encourage proactive stress reduction techniques. For instance, measuring cortisol and melatonin in real time could demonstrate how lifestyle choices (like a late workout or screen time at night) impact those hormone rhythms. This type of feedback loop could bring hormone optimization into the mainstream of wellness routines, analogous to how people now use continuous glucose data for diet tuning.

Longevity and metabolic health represent another frontier. Hormones regulate many aging and metabolic processes – from insulin and cortisol to sex hormones and growth factors. Biohackers interested in longevity often monitor panels of hormones (insulin, IGF-1, thyroid, cortisol, testosterone/estrogen, etc) via periodic tests. In the future, continuous hormone monitoring might allow dynamic adjustment of therapies (for example, fine-tuning hormone replacement dosages or timing). Already, startups are talking about personalized hormone optimization: some envision closed-loop systems where a wearable could not only sense a hormone but also deliver a drug or supplement in response (though this is still conceptual). In chronic diseases, continuous hormone data could improve management of conditions like adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) - these patients could benefit from a real-time cortisol monitor to know when they need medication. Similarly, monitoring reproductive hormones could be useful in endocrine disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome and in tracking treatment response for hormone-based therapies (e.g. testosterone replacement therapy in men, as noted by Level Zero Health).

Finally, general wellness and preventive health stand to gain. Hormones like cortisol, melatonin, and insulin are core to daily well-being (influencing sleep quality, energy levels, weight). Devices that make these biomarkers visible to consumers could drive healthier behavior. If your wearable shows that your cortisol is spiking every morning due to poor sleep, you might be prompted to improve sleep hygiene or meditation. If a saliva test shows abnormal estrogen balance, it might encourage earlier discussions with a doctor. By integrating hormone metrics into wellness apps and routines, the hope is to catch imbalances early before they manifest as disease and to enable truly personalized lifestyle medicine.

Regulatory & Technological Challenges

Despite the excitement, significant hurdles exist in bringing hormone measurement innovations to market. Clinical validation is a foremost challenge. Hormones are often present in minuscule concentrations and can fluctuate due to many factors, so any new sensor must demonstrate accuracy and reliability comparable to gold-standard lab assays. Achieving “lab-grade” precision in a wearable or at-home format is non-trivial; for example, detecting cortisol in sweat required researchers to overcome the fact that cortisol is an electrically neutral molecule, which stymied standard electrochemical sensors.

Individual variability adds another layer of complexity to hormone monitoring. Hormone levels fluctuate due to genetics, sex, age, menstrual cycle phase, circadian rhythms, lifestyle factors, and underlying health conditions, making it difficult to establish universal reference ranges. For example, cortisol follows a diurnal rhythm, peaking in the morning and declining throughout the day, but its exact timing and magnitude vary widely between individuals. Similarly, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, not only between individuals but also across cycles for the same person. Testosterone levels also differ by sex, age, and lifestyle factors such as stress and activity levels. These variations make it challenging to develop a one-size-fits-all wearable or at-home hormone test with clinical accuracy across diverse populations. Any viable commercial product must account for these differences, potentially using machine learning-based corrections, individual baseline tracking, or multi-analyte measurements to provide meaningful and reliable insights.

Companies are investing in extensive R&D and trials – the Corti sensor is backed by a decade of research and over 500,000 biomarker readings in testing and Level Zero spent its first year validating that its DNA-based sensor readings cover 98% of the human hormone range in lab simulations. These validation efforts must eventually translate to formal clinical studies. Many startups are preparing for clinical trials and regulatory approval processes which are essential for integration into the healthcare system. Without this, hormone-monitoring innovations risk being limited to concierge medicine or direct-to-consumer offerings that lack integration with healthcare providers and legitimacy for clinical decision making.

Regulatory approval itself can be a lengthy journey. Devices that claim to diagnose or treat conditions, including acting as contraception, will need FDA clearance or CE marking as medical devices. A continuous hormone monitor may likely be a Class II device (requiring significant evidence of safety/effectiveness). No continuous multi-hormone monitor has FDA approval as of yet – these are breaking new ground. Some aspects of CGM approvals—such as safety standards for implantable or wearable biosensors, interoperable data reporting, and software-driven analytics—could serve as a precedent for continuous hormone monitoring devices, but separate approvals will be necessary to address differences biomarker detection, measurement methods, and clinical applications.

Many non-continuous at-home test kits are positioned as wellness devices to get to market faster (since general wellness products face fewer regulatory hurdles), then planning to seek medical indications later. For example, an at-home hormone test that simply “provides insights” can be sold direct-to-consumer under CLIA lab rules or as an FDA registered product, but if it claims to detect a disease or guide treatment, it becomes a regulated diagnostic. This regulatory tightrope is evident: Eli Health’s Hormometer is FDA-registered (as a class I or II device likely) and touts lab-grade performance, but it will need further clearance for specific medical claims. Similarly, Inne obtained EU medical device certification for its mini-lab as a fertility monitor, which involved demonstrating its accuracy was on par with laboratory progesterone tests. Any company aiming to integrate with healthcare (e.g. use by doctors or inclusion in clinical guidelines) must clear these regulatory bars, which require robust clinical data and quality manufacturing processes.

Technical and scale challenges also loom. Manufacturing novel biosensors at scale and at reasonable cost is difficult – many rely on advanced nanomaterials, microfluidics, or biochemistry that must be consistent batch-to-batch. Ensuring sensors remain calibrated over their wear duration or shelf-life is another concern (drift or biofouling can occur). Continuous monitoring devices must handle data reliably: wearables need to sample and transmit data frequently, meaning hardware, firmware, and algorithms must be rigorously tested for uptime and accuracy. Power management is a related issue (e.g. an implant like Impli’s must work continuously and safely under the skin, likely without a large battery – hence using NFC for power and data, which limits range but avoids battery issues. Connectivity and user experience are also crucial for adoption; these devices generate large amounts of data that need to be distilled into actionable insights without overwhelming users or providers. Startups often mention AI or data analytics layered on the raw sensor readings to interpret trends and flag important changes.

Aptamer technologies offer exciting potential for continuous hormone monitoring by using synthetic, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that bind specifically to target hormones. These sensors can provide non-invasive or minimally invasive tracking of hormones in real time, offering high sensitivity, specificity, and fast response times. They are flexible, stable, and adaptable for monitoring various hormones, making them ideal for applications like fertility tracking or stress management. However, challenges remain, such as ensuring long-term stability in biological environments, the need for frequent calibration, and integrating aptamers into practical, durable sensors. Additionally, regulatory approval and manufacturing costs may limit widespread adoption. Despite these hurdles, aptamers could significantly enhance hormone monitoring, but their full clinical and consumer potential is still under exploration. Time will tell whether innovators will need to pivot from the aptamer strategy to obtain consistent, reliable, long-term data acquisition.

Another challenge is education and trust. Doctors and consumers alike need to trust these new hormone measurements. Gaining acceptance in the medical community will require publishing peer-reviewed studies and perhaps getting endorsements from endocrinologists or OB/GYNs. There can be skepticism – for instance, is an at-home saliva test as reliable as a serum lab test? Companies must provide evidence and likely work with early adopters in the healthcare community to champion the devices. There’s also the question of data interpretation: having continuous hormone data is new territory, and making sense of diurnal patterns or sudden spikes requires building new guidelines. For example, what should a clinician do with a patient’s 24-hour cortisol curve from a wearable? Defining normal vs abnormal ranges in new contexts will take time and research. Notably, clinicians may be weary of adding time consuming data interpretation to the clinical workflow, but AI tools for real-time visualization should mitigate barriers.

Finally, scaling commercial adoption involves practical hurdles: pricing and reimbursement. Currently, most of these products are typically out-of-pocket expenses, though devices like Mira and Oova are eligible for payment through HSA/FSA accounts. Convincing insurers to reimburse a hormone wearable or home test may demand health-economic evidence that it improves outcomes or reduces costs (such as preventing costly IVF failures or catching adrenal crises early). Until then, startups often pursue direct-to-consumer models, which means they need savvy marketing and education to drive adoption. All these challenges make for a complex path – but the companies in this space are steadily working through early validation and forging partnerships (with clinics, pharma, or consumer health companies) to overcome them.

Go-to-Market Strategies

Bringing hormone measurement technologies to users involves creative go-to-market approaches, as startups must navigate between consumer wellness and clinical adoption. One common strategy is a dual B2B and B2C approach, starting with specialized medical or professional use-cases to build credibility, then expanding to broader consumer markets. For instance, Level Zero Health has articulated a “dual-track” plan: first targeting B2B clinical applications (like partnering with fertility clinics or research institutions to use the patch in supervised settings), and later pursuing pharma collaborations and eventually direct consumer use.

By initially working with clinicians (e.g. in IVF clinics or endocrinology practices), companies can gather validation data and endorsements, making it easier to sell to consumers and regulators when a fully over-the-counter version launches. At many fertility clinics and networks, physicians run independent practices but collaborate on best practices, so there’s a shared interest in innovation, though the pace of adoption can vary. Impli’s partnership with Bayer is another example of leveraging B2B early – through Bayer’s network, Impli can integrate into fertility treatment pipelines and even clinical trials, rather than attempting an immediate direct-to-consumer (which would be tough for an implantable device). This not only provides funding and R&D support but also a built-in route to market via Bayer’s presence in women’s health. Most clinics do not currently work with these devices, though some modern, independent clinicians have begun integrating them into fertility applications. For example, nurse practitioner Milan Chavarkar, Founder/CEO of Lotus Integrative Health and Nursing, uses Mira to support her fertility wellness programs that help individuals conceive naturally.

On the other hand, many hormone-tech startups are embracing a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model out of the gate, especially for wellness and personal health optimization products. These companies often market their devices as lifestyle or informational tools, which allows them to sidestep some regulatory barriers and tap into consumers’ desire for actionable health data. They rely on e-commerce, social media, and influencer marketing to reach early adopters. For example, fertility tech brands like Mira and Oova sell their kits online and have active social media communities for women trying to conceive or manage PCOS. They emphasize ease of use (“no more clinic waits, get results at home in minutes”) and empower users with education via companion apps. Eli Health, in launching the Hormometer, is positioning it almost like a Fitbit for hormones – a wellness device that you can use daily to check cortisol and progesterone “as easily as checking your heart rate”.

Many of these startups are aimed at tech-savvy consumers and wellness enthusiasts, sold directly to users with a companion app and subscription for test cartridges. Pricing strategy is key here: many D2C hormone products use subscription models (e.g. monthly supply of test strips or sensors) to build recurring revenue and keep the upfront device cost low. One-time purchase and subscription options can cater to different needs (e.g. a user might subscribe during active conception efforts and then pause).

A common marketing strategy is community and content. Hormone health is personal and often confusing for consumers; companies are building content platforms and communities to engage and educate their audience. Many have blogs, webinars, or social groups where users share experiences (for example, startups focusing on PCOS or menopause often host forums or social media groups). This not only drives brand loyalty but also helps normalize hormone monitoring in everyday life. Some startups partner with online health coaches or telehealth services, creating an ecosystem where their product is part of a larger care offering. For instance, a hormone testing company might partner with a telemedicine provider so that users can easily consult a doctor about their at-home test results. This integrated care model can enhance trust and uptake, because consumers feel there’s medical backup to interpret the data. We see hints of this with Oova working with fertility clinics and providers, and with companies like Thorne or Everlywell which bundle physician reviews or dietary supplement recommendations with test results.

In terms of commercial partnerships, beyond pharma tie-ins, there’s potential for tech partnerships (e.g. integrating hormone data into popular fitness or health apps). Apple, Google, Fitbit, and Oura have shown interest in health monitoring – a startup with a validated hormone sensor might find a lucrative exit or partnership by integrating into a larger wearable’s ecosystem.

Finally, messaging and positioning are crucial. For consumer-facing products, framing the benefits in terms of empowerment and preventive health resonates more than clinical jargon. For example, consumer endocrine measurement marketing often highlights “take control of your hormones” or “reclaim your hormonal health” – tapping into the empowerment theme. However, consumers should be wary of marketing hype that isn’t backed by real scientific evidence. The success of these products will ultimately depend on whether they can move beyond early adopters—such as fertility enthusiasts, biohackers, and quantified-self geeks—toward a mainstream audience, while also integrating into clinical practice for long-term adoption and validation.

For consumers on the market for a hormone monitoring device, seek out those that share clear information about how they work and any research or clinical studies behind them. Look for devices that have been validated or tested for accuracy, and that have a platform to interpret your data for actionable insights. Check user reviews and consult a healthcare professional to see if it's right for your needs. Avoid devices that make broad, unsubstantiated claims without clear scientific backing.

Key Insights and Takeaways

Hormone measurement technologies are at an inflection point, transitioning from clinic-dependent tests to user-centric solutions. Continuous monitoring via patches, implants, or wearables promises to illuminate real-time hormone dynamics that were never visible before, much as CGMs transformed glucose management.

The hormone measurement space is poised for robust growth and innovation. We are moving toward a future where checking your hormone levels could be as routine as checking your steps or heart rate – whether via a patch on your arm, a device on your nightstand, or a quick saliva scan with your phone. These innovations come with obstacles and risk, and experts stress that more clinical validity studies are needed to ensure that data coming from these tools are accurate and useful before integrating into the clinical workflow. More data does not guarantee better results; it's the quality and precision of the data that matters most.

That being said, those that succeed to establish clinical validity could fundamentally change how we approach hormonal health, making proactive hormone monitoring a mainstream component of preventive care and wellness. The convergence of technology, demand, and investment in this field suggests that the coming years will see hormone health truly “come home” to individuals – enabling better-informed decisions, personalized treatments, and ultimately healthier lives guided by the once-hidden signals of our endocrine system.

Health Equity Considerations

Remote hormone monitoring has the potential to significantly improve access to fertility care and hormonal health management, particularly for individuals facing economic and geographic barriers. In conjunction with telemedicine, at-home and continuous monitoring solutions reduce the need for frequent in-clinic visits, lowering costs and increasing accessibility for those in rural or underserved areas. However, key challenges remain. Many fertility treatments, including IVF, still require in-clinic ultrasounds to monitor follicular development, and remote ultrasound and portable devices are still years away from clinical adoption, limiting the full benefits of remote care. Addressing these gaps through advancements in imaging technology or hybrid care models will be crucial for ensuring equitable access to hormone-driven healthcare.

The early adopters of advanced hormone monitoring technologies often fall within the concierge medicine model, where patients pay out-of-pocket for cutting-edge, personalized care. Until clinical validity is well-established and regulatory approvals are secured, widespread insurance coverage remains limited. As clinical evidence grows, payers and insurance providers may develop reimbursement models for remote hormone monitoring, particularly for fertility, menopause management, and metabolic health. However, many payers still require traditional lab-based diagnostics and in-clinic ultrasounds for coverage, limiting accessibility for broader populations. Bridging this gap through clinical trials, real-world data, and policy advocacy will be crucial for mainstream adoption.

Looking Ahead

It’s impossible to ignore the role of AI in accelerating the insights from hormone monitoring technologies, bringing unprecedented levels of precision, personalization, and efficiency to the space. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, AI can analyze vast amounts of hormonal data to identify patterns that would be difficult or impossible for humans to discern. This could lead to more accurate predictions of hormone fluctuations and their impacts on various health outcomes, such as fertility, mental health, and athletic performance. AI could also enable real-time data analysis, allowing for immediate feedback and adjustments to treatment plans or lifestyle recommendations. In addition, AI-powered systems could help optimize hormonal health by integrating data from multiple sources, such as wearables, lab tests, and clinical records, providing a holistic view of an individual’s hormonal profile.

Data is king — so let’s start early. One IVF expert, Sara Vaughn, MD, a physician at HRC Fertility, has her eye out for platforms moving into hormone tracking around puberty. As parents and healthcare providers seek deeper insights into the emotional and physical transitions during adolescence, continuous hormone monitoring could enable real-time data that helps to better understand and support children's development. This would allow for earlier identification of hormonal imbalances, guiding decisions around growth, mental health, and well-being.

By tracking hormonal patterns over a lifetime, these technologies could forecast future health and fertility outcomes, giving individuals the tools to mitigate environmental and genetic risk factors through personalized lifestyle recommendations. Hormone-based precision medicine could optimize birth control prescriptions, hormone replacement therapies, and other reproductive health choices based on real-time data rather than generalized assumptions. With advances in AI and machine learning, predictive models could become increasingly accurate, helping to prevent health conditions like infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or metabolic disorders before they manifest.

Ultimately, the next frontier for these innovations lies in their ability to build evidence, trust, and partnerships. Hormone monitoring technology has the power to pave the way for a more proactive and personalized approach to healthcare, moving us beyond symptom management to prevention, optimization, and long-term wellness.

Erica Maissy holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from UC San Diego and serves as a Venture Partner with Coyote Ventures.

Erica Maissy