April 08, 2025
Right now, around 1 in 5 donated kidneys don't make it to a recipient due to delays in transportation, damage, or other problems.
Every lost kidney is a missed chance to save a life.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is working to fix this. Through our Innovation Fund, we are investing in new, cutting-edge technologies that give hope to the thousands still waiting for a second chance.
Why Do So Many Donated Kidneys Go to Waste?
Every year, transplant centers reject thousands of donated kidneys because of:
- Quality Concerns: Age, damage, or disease can make a kidney unusable.
- Transportation Delays: Kidneys survive 24 to 36 hours outside the body. Delays in transportation and storage issues can lead to discarded kidneys.
- Matching Difficulties: Finding the correct recipient for a kidney can take too long.
NKF's Innovation Fund is investing in companies that solve these problems.
What is NKF's Innovation Fund?
There has always been a lack of traditional investment for kidney disease and transplant start-up companies. Many promising companies can't raise the early and mid-stage funding needed to advance new therapies through development.
The NKF Innovation Fund helps bridge that gap by supporting groundbreaking ideas and technologies that improve kidney care.
Our goal is to:
- Develop better kidney disease treatments
- Make more kidneys available for transplant
- Improve the organ transportation system
- Help patients live longer, healthier lives
Improving Kidney Transport with Better Cold Storage
Most OPOs transport kidneys in ice coolers. Stable, cold temperatures can preserve kidneys in the short term, but often lead to damage in the long term. NKF invested in two companies working on better cold storage options–the more innovation in the space, the better.
Designing Next-Gen Cold Storage for Kidney Transplants
Northernmost is developing the NoMo™ Kidney Pump, a new hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) system. HMPs keep donor kidneys cool but not too cold, oxygenated, and healthy during transport.
Many HMPs are too large or expensive to use. NoMo™ will be different. Northernmost's team is creating a small, portable machine that can fit under a plane seat.
NKF invested in Northernmost in February 2025 to help them share their innovation with the transplantation community during the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations’ 2025 Annual Meeting.
They also recently partnered with the Mayo Clinic to test and improve their design.
Learn more about Northernmost.
Transplanting Donor Kidneys at the Perfect Temperature
Diatiro created the Kidney Pod to keep kidneys at the correct cold temperature throughout a transplant surgery.
NKF invested in Diatiro in September 2023 after the FDA gave the Kidney Pod a breakthrough designation. This allows the product to get to market quicker.
After the investment, the FDA approved Diatiro's design and passed its safety protocols. Diatiro is now working on its application for an FDA-approved clinical trial. They hope to release the Kidney Pod within two years.
Extending Kidney Viability with Normothermic Storage
Cold storage isn't the only option for preserving donor kidneys. Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) technology maintains kidneys at body temperature while delivering oxygen, blood, and vital nutrients. NKF Innovation Fund also supports companies innovating in this space.
Reducing Kidney Discards
When 34 Lives created an advanced NMP system, NKF was among the first investors to recognize how this new technology could help reduce kidney discards. The Innovation Fund invested in this project in October 2022 to help them realize their concept.
Just two years later, 34 Lives received a five-year grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for their "No Kidney Left Behind" project. The team plans to use the grant to create a process that rehabilitates around 50% of discarded donor kidneys.
Keeping Donor Kidneys Healthier for Longer
ZeitLife is developing cutting-edge kidney transplant storage devices and NMP fluids that keep donor kidneys functioning as if they were still inside the body. ZeitLife's perfusion fluids may also reduce complications and improve long-term patient outcomes.
NKF invested in ZeitLife in October 2024, recognizing the opportunity to improve organ preservation and increase transplant success rates.
With NKF's support, ZeitLife aims to bring its products to market within the next 2 to 5 years.
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Getting Kidneys to Their Destination Faster
Transportation issues are one of the biggest reasons viable kidneys go to waste. To combat this, NKF invested in MediGO, which uses real-time GPS tracking to get kidneys to transplant centers faster.
MediGO also tracks:
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Humidity
- Light
- Vibrations
Some Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) already use this technology to reduce delays and allow doctors to better prepare for surgery.
Increasing Research and Treatment Development
Innovation in kidney disease research has historically been underfunded, even though 1 in 7 adults in the U.S. has kidney disease. We're investing in companies that are working to change this.
Researching How Kidneys Work
Revalia Bio is revolutionizing kidney disease treatment by studying how kidneys function outside the body. Their advanced technology keeps donated kidneys alive for research, helping scientists create more effective treatments.
In October 2024, NKF invested in Revalia Bio to fund research on how kidneys respond at the cellular level to different treatments. This could lead to new therapies that improve transplant success rates and slow disease progression.
Creating A Future Without Anti-Rejection Medications
One of the biggest challenges recipients face is taking anti-rejection medications for the rest of their lives. ImmunoFree therapy prevents rejection without lifelong medication using stem cell therapy. Stem cells are unique because they can turn into many different types of cells.
If successful, transplant recipients could live healthier lives without worrying about immunosuppressant medications.
ImmunoFree found that 76% of patients using their therapy in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials didn't need immunosuppression medications after the trial ended.
NKF invested in ImmunoFree in January 2024 to help bring this life-changing innovation to patients. They are putting together safety trials and hope to release the product within three to seven years.
The Future Is Bright
Most of these technologies are still under development and aren't available yet, but don't lose hope. NKF is committed to supporting these innovations, and we will keep you informed as they progress.
With continued investment, we are moving closer to a future where more kidneys are available for transplant.
