Gluten Sensor Maker NIMA Partners Relaunches With Funding from RA Capital Management
STANDARD PRESS RELEASE
NIMA Partners, INC
Release Date April 4, 2025
Gluten Sensor Maker NIMA Partners Relaunches With Funding from RA Capital Management
– Financing accelerates NIMA Partners’ gluten sensors and capsules return to market in 2025
– Company actively recruiting experienced leadership for NIMA Partners’ next stage of growth
BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NIMA Partners, an allergen testing company that helps people avoid unwanted exposure to gluten in their food, today announced a transformational investment by RA Capital Management. This funding will allow NIMA Partners to reestablish a robust manufacturing and supply chain for the company’s flagship gluten sensor product and move quickly to fulfill customer needs.
“My family, like so many others, has relied on NIMA’s tests to keep our son safe and there was no way I was going to let such an important product remain in shortage,” said Peter Kolchinsky, a Founder and Managing Partner of RA Capital Management and now Chairman of NIMA Partners’ board. “The past year without capsules has been deeply nerve wracking. We were anxious every time we traveled and had to trust restaurants and friends that they understood what it meant that our son couldn’t have any gluten. Sometimes the only option was to pack him a separate meal from home, which can make a kid feel different.” he added. “When we relaunch the sensor and capsules, families living with celiac disease or other gluten intolerance can feel a lot safer around food again.”
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with RA Capital and bring the NIMA Partners sensor and capsules back to market,” said Dave DellaFave, Head of Commercial Operations at NIMA Partners. “Over 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease and nearly 15% of Americans have some form of gluten intolerance, which can be painful, difficult to properly diagnose, and cause serious health complications. Going through the supply chain issues and working capital crisis that led us into this prolonged shortage was a painful experience for our team. It was devastating to have to tell our customers that they wouldn't be able to get more capsules. We know how much they were counting on us,” DellaFave continued. “Now that we have significant funding from RA Capital and are working closely with their team, we will be able to provide critical support for individuals with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and auto-immune conditions. And we’ll drive further innovation in the platform over time. Together, we are advancing the foundational mission of NIMA Partners to improve health outcomes and give individuals the products and information they need to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
Like many companies, NIMA Partners was negatively impacted by supply chain disruption of key product components in 2024, which resulted in the company’s gluten capsules and gluten sensors being out of stock for many months. NIMA has worked with its manufacturing partners and has now resumed production. The company expects to reintroduce these products to its online store and other consumer outlets as soon as possible, with the commitment to its customers to continue to improve the product’s reliability, functionality, and platform experience over time.
The company is building out the management team with deep connections to the celiac disease and gluten intolerance communities to lead NIMA through any future challenges and opportunities. NIMA is also committed to establishing a User Advisory Board comprising customers and other stakeholders in the celiac disease community to ensure the company is providing the best possible platform and experience for the people who rely on its products.
The next steps of the relaunch will involve receiving the first new batches of sensors and capsules for quality control and release. The company will then start to take preorders so that we can fund an adequate supply of sensors for customers who have already experienced the peace-of-mind that the NIMA sensor offers and are eager to get that peace-of-mind back.
NIMA’s focus is on ensuring that customers who rely on its products never experience a shortage again. Towards that end, NIMA will offer a subscription option that guarantees that customers can count on receiving enough capsules each month.
NIMA Partners will also work on having the sensors and capsules covered by insurance plans. The team doesn’t know how long this will take, as celiac disease is a deeply underappreciated and misunderstood condition. Insurance plans and employers often don’t realize what accidental exposure to gluten is doing to their members and employees who suffer from celiac disease, or that it can lead to incidental medical costs and lost productivity.
“The NIMA sensor is exactly the kind of product that people living with celiac disease should be able to count on their insurance plans to cover,” said Dr. Michael Sherman, who has served as chief medical officer at large health insurance plans and is NIMA’s reimbursement strategy advisor. “Large employers that provide food for their employees or ask them to travel need to be aware of the risks and anxiety that employees with celiac disease experience when considering what’s safe to eat away from home. Celiac disease is serious. Just as it’s appropriate for plans to cover epinephrine to protect people living with allergies, plans should be covering NIMA sensors and capsules to protect those living with celiac disease.”
“For families living with celiac disease, it’s hard to trust,” said Peter Kolchinsky. “Our lives are limited because we have to fear gluten contamination everywhere. Wellmeaning people at restaurants say they were careful, but our child’s symptoms tell a different story. With NIMA, we can spot the mistakes before our son suffers from them. We bring NIMA with us when we eat over at anyone’s house, and the hosts breathe easier when they see that NIMA gave their food a smiley face. And it brings a smile to our son’s face. He lights up when he knows he can trust french fries, pizza, chicken fingers, pasta, and all the other foods on a regular kid’s menu. NIMA helped keep him safe through all of Disney World. We’ve been without that security for the past year and we look forward to reclaiming that peace-of-mind again, as do thousands of other families.”
About NIMA Partners Launched in 2021, NIMA Partners is an allergen testing company with a marketed product that enables individuals to avoid unintentional gluten exposure in food in a fast and accurate manner. Over 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease and millions more manage non-celiac gluten intolerance, all of whom require access to convenient meal testing options outside of their homes. NIMA’s device consists of a portable sensor and single-use capsules that screen pea-sized amounts of food and indicate to the user whether the meal is safe to eat. Learn more at NIMAnow.com
About RA Capital Management Founded in 2004, RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. RA Capital creates and funds innovative companies, from private seed rounds to public follow-on financings, allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization and beyond. Raven, RA Capital's healthcare incubator, offers entrepreneurs and innovators a collaborative and comprehensive platform for building their companies. RA Capital has more than 150 employees and over $10 billion in assets under management.
Contact For more information on the NIMA Partners sensors and capsules, visit nimanow.com or reach out at info@nimapartnersinc.com. If you’d like to get involved with the company or learn more about the User Advisory Board, please reach out at joinus@nimapartnersinc.com.