Australis Scientific Raises $6M and Won Medtech Innovator Prize

Australian medtech company Australis Scientific has emerged as one of the most closely watched innovators in bladder health after securing US$6 million in funding from Japan’s Rohto Pharmaceutical and winning the 2025 Medtech Innovator Asia Pacific Grand Prize. Founded in 2021, the Sydney-based company is developing a new class of minimally invasive medical devices designed to transform how urinary incontinence and overactive bladder (OAB) are managed, conditions that affect more than 400 million people globally yet remain underserved by existing therapies.

At the centre of its innovation is the Confidanz™ Smart Patch, a discreet, wearable device that delivers percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as urinary urgency, frequency and nocturia. The company describes Confidanz as a “breakthrough in bladder health,” offering an alternative to invasive procedures and clinic-based neuromodulation. Its mission is simple: provide a convenient, effective and patient-friendly treatment that fits into everyday life.

A Growing Unmet Need in Bladder Health

Urinary incontinence and OAB are among the most common chronic conditions worldwide, yet treatments often fall short due to complexity, inconvenience or side effects. Many patients rely on medications that cause drowsiness or dry mouth, while more advanced therapies like implanted stimulators or in-clinic PTNS sessions require recurring medical appointments, specialised equipment or invasive procedures. As a result, treatment adherence is notoriously low and many patients simply live with unmanaged symptoms.

Australis Scientific was founded to challenge this cycle. Its focus on wearable, minimally invasive neuromodulation is part of a wider shift in medtech toward patient-controlled treatment pathways. By placing the device at the point of care, on the patient’s own body, Confidanz aims to replicate the accessibility seen with Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices, which transformed diabetes care from clinic-dependent management to seamless, personalised monitoring.

The company’s founders argue that bladder health is long overdue for a similar leap forward. “Urinary incontinence affects millions of people, yet innovation has stalled for decades,” Australis Scientific says. “Confidanz is designed to give patients real control through a safe, comfortable and clinically grounded solution.”

The Confidanz™ Smart Patch: A New Category of Minimally Invasive Treatment

The Confidanz Smart Patch represents a new direction for PTNS therapy. Traditionally delivered through needles placed near the ankle in a clinical setting, PTNS stimulates the tibial nerve to regulate bladder activity. Australis Scientific has re-engineered this concept into a wearable, discreet device that can be used at home, reducing the need for in-clinic appointments and making treatment accessible to a wider population. Confidanz integrates:

• Minimally invasive stimulation technology
• Wearable form factor suitable for daily use
• Connectivity features designed for patient monitoring and adherence
• A comfort-first design allowing users to remain active during treatment

This shift from clinical to consumer-medical technology is one of the reasons Australis Scientific has drawn global investment and recognition.

International Validation: The 2025 Medtech Innovator Grand Prize

On October 28, 2025, Australis Scientific won the Medtech Innovator Asia Pacific Grand Prize, the most prestigious award in Asia Pacific’s medtech sector. Selected from more than 600 startups across the region, Australis Scientific was recognised for its potential to redefine bladder health through accessible neuromodulation technology. Judges cited:

• The scale of unmet need in urinary incontinence
• The promise of minimally invasive PTNS delivered through a wearable
• Strong early engineering and clinical validation
• A business model designed for scalability
• Clear potential for global adoption

Winning the Grand Prize places Australis Scientific in a rare group of companies singled out for both technical excellence and real-world impact.

Rohto Pharmaceutical Invests US$6 Million to Scale Global Impact

The company’s rise has also captured attention from major pharmaceutical players. Japan’s Rohto Pharmaceutical, a publicly listed global healthcare company, invested US$6 million in Australis Scientific to accelerate engineering, clinical development, regulatory approvals and commercial readiness. Rohto’s interest is tied to:

• Japan’s rapidly ageing population, where urinary incontinence rates are particularly high
• The global medical need for non-surgical bladder health solutions
• Australis Scientific’s blend of neuromodulation, wearable technology and strong IP

According to Rohto, the Confidanz Smart Patch presents “a scalable and globally significant innovation” with potential to become a mainstream treatment pathway for millions. The funding will be used to:

• Expand Australis Scientific’s global engineering team
• Advance regulatory strategy in major markets
• Support upcoming clinical trials
• Prepare Confidanz for commercial rollout
• Broaden the company’s portfolio of bladder health technologies

The company is already developing additional devices beyond Confidanz as part of a long-term vision to build a full neuromodulation and wearable bladder health ecosystem.

A Medtech Company Building for Global Scale

Australis Scientific’s rapid progress highlights the growing momentum behind medtech innovation emerging from Australia. With deep expertise across engineering, neuromodulation, urology and regulatory science, the company’s global team is building devices that are not only clinically credible but also practical for patients outside hospital settings. Their approach places equal emphasis on Patient comfort, clinical-grade neuromodulation, minimally invasive technologies, scalable electronic engineering, wearable engineering, digital health integration and long-term product pipeline development.

With strong domestic traction and increasing international interest, Australis Scientific is well positioned to influence the future direction of bladder health treatment.

Australis Scientific represents exactly the type of medtech innovation often overlooked: clinically grounded, patient-centric and designed to solve a massive but underserved health problem. The Confidanz Smart Patch stands out not because it is flashy, but because it addresses a deeply practical challenge, bringing effective bladder health treatment out of the clinic and into daily life.

Its combination of global validation, credible clinical science and a wearable-first design gives it a meaningful edge. If the company succeeds in regulatory pathways and large-scale adoption, Australis Scientific has the potential to do for bladder health what CGMs did for diabetes, shift control into the hands of patients and normalise discreet, data-driven treatment for a condition long burdened by stigma.