Kitea Health: A Breakthrough in Equitable, Proactive Healthcare
At Soul Capital, we seek investments that combine innovation with social equity. That’s why we’re proud to back Kitea Health, a Tāmaki Makaurau-based medical technology company pioneering micro-implantable pressure sensors to manage chronic conditions like hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus—an excess buildup of cerebrospinal fluid—is especially burdensome for disabled individuals and whānau with young children. Currently, shunts used to relieve pressure fail at high rates, and symptoms can trigger emergency hospital visits, often based on guesswork. Kitea’s wireless, miniature sensor empowers families to monitor pressure at home, offering early warning insights and reducing unnecessary hospital trips.
This has profound implications for our priority communities. Māori, Pasifika, and disabled whānau frequently face delayed diagnoses and systemic barriers in accessing culturally safe care. Kitea’s technology restores agency to these families—enabling symptom validation, reducing fear, avoiding emergency scans, and freeing up mental and financial bandwidth. Each device also anchors long-term impact: once implanted, it continues to benefit whānau over the course of their lives.
From a systems standpoint, early intervention means fewer emergency admissions, lower healthcare costs, and ultimately, a more resilient system that serves everyone more fairly.
For Te Pae ki te Rangi, this investment aligns directly with our impact themes:
Increased Equity – empowering underserved communities to access healthcare earlier and more fairly.
Social Inclusion – restoring dignity and agency to whānau often marginalised by health systems.
Environmental Regeneration – easing demand on resource-intensive hospital services, contributing to more sustainable healthcare.
By backing Kitea Health, we’re not just supporting brilliant deep-tech innovation; we’re advancing solutions that shift healthcare from reactive to proactive, ensuring our communities thrive.
Kitea Health exemplifies impact investing at its best: catalytic capital fueling a breakthrough that reshapes lives—not in theory—but in practice.
References
Soul Capital – Kitea Health Portfolio Update
Kitea Health – World’s Smallest Brain Implant Commences First Human Trials in New Zealand
MedTech IQ – After World-First Brain Implant, Kitea Health Raising $20M
