Hydrostasis’ Journey with The Brink SBDC and the Success that Followed
Hydrostasis achieves successful funding goals and receives a patent for their hydration monitoring technology with help from The Brink SBDC
“As a first time founder/CEO, it is amazing to know that I can reach out and have people that support me and my decisions. They understand what my vision is as a founder, and use their resources to help me get there. “ - Dr. Debbie Chen, Founder and CEO of Hydrostasis
Debbie Chen, PhD, is a mother, founder, scientist, muay thai fighter, and strong advocate for underrepresented founders. She is passionate about hydration, health, and performance, which led her to create Hydrostasis.
Dr. Chen founded Hydrostasis in 2018 and grew it with the support of the unique San Diego innovation ecosystem — starting with Hera Hub and Ad Astra Ventures.
In 2018-2019, Hydrostasis competed as one of seven finalists out of 91 applicants in the first San Diego Angel Conference and joined the Brink SBDC seeking fundraising assistance. The Brink SBDC introduced Dr. Chen to investors and gave timely business advice for their pitch deck during this critical growth season
“The advisors introduced me to investors, other successful CEOs, relevant conferences I should attend and were available for general questions as I progressed in my journey,” stated Dr. Chen.
With The Brink SBDC consulting in guiding Hydrostasis on business strategy and support, Hydrostasis applied and won a $225,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Health in 2020.
“Working with the SDBC has been an absolute pleasure. They helped me understand what I needed to do as a founder to position myself to be successful in investor relations, as well as general business strategy,” said Dr. Chen.
In early 2021, Hydrostasis received a U.S. patent for their technology, being part of the 4% all-female invented issued patents in the last decade.
As Hydrostasis continues to grow, Dr. Chen continually participates in events and summits beyond San Diego.
In May 2021, Hydrostasis was chosen as a finalist for the Angel Capital Association Angel Summit. Recently, they participated as a presenting company in the Connected Health & Fitness Summit Innovation Showcase and won first place.
Dr. Chen states, “It's amazing the amount of milestones that we were able to accomplish in just one year. I really couldn't have done it without all the help and support. Thank you to the team at the Brink and SDBC!”
More about Hydrostasis
Hydrostasis provides personalized and actionable hydration monitoring to improve health and wellness. Their GecaTM sensor technology integrates with existing smart optical devices to keep users within their optimal hydration range. Their goal is to improve health and performance in everyday life.