WED AM News: Amulet launches new handheld sensor, aims to ‘fundamentally change’ detection and testing; Talking Trade with Chris Wojtowicz, SBDC

May 28, 2025

— A Madison startup called Amulet aims to enable better measurements in the field for both research and industry with its recently launched handheld electrochemical sensor.

Founder and CEO Abigail Barnes says the company eventually wants to “fundamentally change how detection and testing happen” across various sectors.

“Right now, we’re at an inflection point and are focused on solidifying Amulet’s role as the industry standard for portable detection technology,” she told WisBusiness.com. “In the short term, we’re scaling production and operations to meet demand for commercial Amulets while building on our existing and potential partnerships.”

The device is being touted as the world’s smallest battery-powered, handheld “potentiostat,” which can detect contaminants and other chemicals without needing a computer or scientific laboratory nearby. It only weighs 11 grams, and Barnes notes it has weathered extreme conditions when being used in the field.

Through a partnership between the company and Imperial College London, researchers used the Amulet during a 40-day rowing expedition in the Atlantic Ocean to study the effects of extreme physical stress on the body. Scientists used the device to test their hemoglobin levels during the voyage, in hopes of better understanding the process of hemolysis, when red blood cells rupture under such conditions.

“The Amulet lasted the entire trip (despite some iPhones not making it!), enabling important scientific measurements that would not have been possible with the incumbent technology,” Barnes said in an email.

The device can also be used for water quality and soil health analysis by environmental agencies and on-site safety testing in the food industry, she noted. The company previously received a USDA grant for detecting histamine in fish, one of the top causes for food poisoning.

Under the Amulet Scientific brand, the company is targeting researchers, industrial teams, food manufacturers and academic institutions as customers. While it can be sold to individual researchers and professionals, Barnes said “we’re interested in seeing how institutional sales can maximize our impact on improving safety and transparency” in food systems and environmental monitoring.

The business also includes the Allergy Amulet brand, reflecting its original focus on detecting allergens through a wearable device. That has since broadened as “we realized that the capability of our tech has evolved,” she explained.

“Our goal with both companies remains the same: to bring accessibility and transparency to critical measurements within food systems,” she said. “Launching the Amulet is the first step toward achieving that goal, and expands Amulet’s impact to wherever in-field detection is used to keep people and companies safe.”

Amulet last year raised $5.8 million in a Series A financing round, led by Madison venture capital firm HealthX Ventures. That brought it to about $6 million in total funding, and Barnes says the team is focused on executing the commercial launch while scaling up its operations and meeting “growing demand” for enhanced testing.

When asked if the company will be raising more capital going forward, she said “we’ll evaluate additional funding opportunities as we continue to grow and expand our product line.”

— In the latest episode of “Talking Trade,” Chris Wojtowicz of the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center discusses the latest in federal tariff policy.

Wojtowicz, an international trade consultant and chairman of the Wisconsin District Export Council, says he’s urging his clients to stay positive despite the current uncertainty.

“The world’s not fallen or coming to an end, there are a lot of opportunities to be found out there … politics and governments and personalities and rhetoric aside, people are still looking for your solution,” he said. “So let’s lead with that.”

He shares examples of how he’s working with clients to navigate the international shipping landscape given tariff-related challenges, including finding ways to avoid paying certain taxes when “re-exporting” goods.

Wojtowicz also touches on U.S. relations with other countries, noting Canada is “still charging us 25% in retaliatory tariffs even though we’re not charging them,” and referencing the Trump administration’s alienation of some Canadians.

And while he’s telling clients to take some of the president’s rhetoric with a grain of salt, he notes it can also signal the administration’s next moves.

“Does that mean ship now, get stuff on the water and panic? No. But be prepared, that’s what it means,” he said. “And you know, it’s difficult. It really is. I’m trying to tell my clients to be proactive rather than reactive.”

Talking Trade is hosted by E.M Wasylik Associates Managing Director Ken Wasylik and M.E. Dey & Co. President and Managing Director Sandi Siegel.

Watch the full episode here.

“Talking Trade” is now available in audio form on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Subscribe and find more episodes here.

— State health officials have made permanent an emergency rule approved by Gov. Tony Evers earlier this year, toughening the state’s lead poisoning threshold to 3.5 µg/dL.

That emergency rule from January followed the CDC’s earlier move to lower its blood lead level at which the agency recommends intervention, from 5 µg/dL to 3.5 µg/dL, according to a release from the guv’s office.

It cites figures from the state Department of Health Services showing nearly 3,300 kids in Wisconsin had blood lead levels between 3.5 and 4.9 micrograms per 100 milliliters of blood from November 2021 to February 2024. That means they didn’t qualify for environmental intervention services despite having levels above the CDC’s recommended threshold for intervention.

This year, DHS says about 1,400 kids are expected to have a blood lead level falling within that range, and will be eligible for services under the now permanent rule. These can include screening, care coordination and follow-up services for children that aren’t covered by a third-party payer, and more.

“Finalizing this rule means more kids and families in Wisconsin will be able to get the help and resources they need if they’re exposed to lead,” Evers said in a statement.

See the release.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— Former WisGOP Executive Director Andrew Iverson is moving to a presidential appointment position at the USDA.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins yesterday announced Iverson will be serving as state director of rural development in Wisconsin.

WisGOP Chair Brian Schimming praised Iverson’s work at WisGOP in a statement following his federal appointment.

“I’d like to congratulate Andrew Iverson on his appointment and thank him for his work as the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s Executive Director. President Trump and Secretary Rollins made a great choice in choosing Andrew to serve as the USDA Rural Development State Director for Wisconsin,” he said.

Beginning last April, Iverson served as the executive director of WisGOP for just over a year. Before that he was the regional political director for the Republican National Committee. Iverson also ran the Wisconsin campaign for President Donald Trump in Wisconsin in 2020.

See more at WisPolitics.

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