What Shade does

Shade is a clinical-grade wearable UV sensor company spun off from Cornell Tech in New York City in 2016 by Dr. Emmanuel Dumont, following his postdoctoral research under MacArthur Fellow Professor Deborah Estrin. The company has developed a proprietary 6H silicon carbide semiconductor photodetector paired with a custom spectral filter designed to match the erythema action spectrum, weighting UVB exponentially higher than UVA to align with WHO and EPA standards for human skin damage assessment. The waterproof, Bluetooth-connected wearable device measures UV index down to a resolution of 0.001 with documented real-world accuracy above 90% (compared to 18% for EPA UV Index forecasts) and offers 5-day battery life. The hardware pairs with three mobile application variants: a consumer-facing iOS/Android app that displays and records UV exposure with personalized limit alerts, an Android-only Shade Meter app for real-time readings without recording, and a Non-Reporting app used in blinded clinical trial designs where UV data is captured but not shown to participants.

Shade operates a hybrid go-to-market model spanning direct-to-consumer e-commerce and enterprise clinical research sales. On the DTC side, the company targets photosensitive individuals (notably lupus patients and people on photosensitizing medications), melanoma and skin cancer survivors, and sun-conscious consumers through its own storefront (store.wearshade.com) with a 30-day money-back guarantee, supported by distribution on Google Play and the Apple App Store. On the B2B side, Shade pursues direct enterprise sales to clinical research institutions — including Weill Cornell Medicine, Hôpital Européen in Marseille, the National Cancer Institute, and multiple US universities — supplying sensors, blinded study apps, and a real-time study coordinator dashboard with raw data and adherence analytics for observational and interventional UV exposure studies enrolling hundreds of patients. Revenue is generated through hardware sales and clinical study technology partnerships, with pricing not publicly disclosed.

The company has raised over $5M in total funding from early-stage venture funds, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation, and operates with a 1-10 person team from its New York City headquarters. Its technology and methods are protected by a portfolio of 12 granted US patents covering the photodetector system, manufacturing methods, and the wearable industrial design, with additional patents pending.

Name

Shade

Legal name

Shade

Website

https://wearshade.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shade is a clinical-grade wearable UV sensor company that sells a proprietary 6H silicon carbide Bluetooth device with companion iOS and Android apps to photosensitive individuals, skin cancer survivors, and clinical research institutions conducting UV exposure studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wearable Health Monitoring Devices

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical & Light Sensors (Photodiodes/ALS/Color/UV) (HDAHALAE)

Keywords

• Wearable UV sensors
• UV exposure monitoring
• Clinical UV radiometers
• Photosensitivity management
• UV index measurement

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Wearable UV Sensor Hardware Sales: Sale of clinical-grade wearable UV sensor devices for personal use and clinical research applications. The device is sold directly through the company's e-commerce store with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Mobile Application Distribution: Companion mobile applications distributed through Google Play Store and Apple App Store, available for both consumer UV monitoring and clinical study protocols.
3. Clinical Research Technology Partnerships: B2B partnerships with research institutions, dermatologists, and rheumatologists providing UV monitoring technology for clinical studies with dedicated study coordinator dashboards and real-time patient data access.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shade designs, manufactures, and sells a clinical-grade wearable UV sensor device that measures the UV index with scientific-grade accuracy, paired with companion iOS and Android mobile applications for personal UV monitoring and clinical research. The hardware uses a proprietary 6H silicon carbide semiconductor photodetector with a custom erythema-matching spectral filter, and is sold to individual consumers with photosensitivity conditions and to clinical research institutions for dermatology and rheumatology studies.

Product overview

Shade offers a clinical-grade wearable UV sensor device paired with multiple companion mobile applications for both personal use and clinical research. The core product is the Shade UV Sensor—a semiconductor-based, Bluetooth-connected wearable that measures UV index with scientific-grade accuracy. This sensor integrates with three app variants: the main Shade App (iOS/Android) for consumers displaying and recording UV data with personalized alerts; the Shade Meter App (Android only) for real-time-only readings without recording; and the Shade Non-Reporting App (iOS/Android) for clinical trials where UV data is recorded but not shown to participants. The company also provides a real-time analytics platform for clinical study coordinators to access raw data and summary reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shade UV Sensor A clinical-grade, waterproof, Bluetooth-connected wearable UV sensor device that measures the UV index down to 0.001 resolution continuously for 5 days on a single charge, recording both instantaneous and cumulative UV exposure. Sold directly to consumers and to clinical research institutions for use in dermatology and rheumatology studies.
• Shade App (iOS & Android) Consumer-facing mobile application for iOS and Android that displays real-time UV index data from the Shade sensor and provides personalized daily UV dose limits with smart notifications when approaching exposure thresholds.
• Shade Meter App (Android) An Android-only mobile application that displays real-time UV measurement from a paired Shade sensor without recording or persisting the data, intended for users who want instant UV readings without ongoing tracking.
• Shade Non-Reporting App (Clinical Trial Version) A clinical trial version of the Shade mobile application available on iOS and Android that records UV exposure data in the background but does not display UV levels to the patient, enabling blinded study designs where participants are unaware of their UV exposure levels.
• Clinical Study Coordinator Dashboard A centralized real-time analytics platform providing clinical study coordinators with raw UV sensor data, summary reports, adherence metrics, and analytics from all sensors deployed in a study. Sold as part of Shade's clinical research offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ real-world accuracy vs 18% for EPA UV Index forecasts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Cornell TechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Shade was spun off from Cornell Tech following Dr. Emmanuel Dumont's postdoctoral research on wearable UV measurements under Professor Deborah Estrin (MacArthur Fellow). Cornell Tech in New York City is the founding institution and academic origin of the technology.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational Cancer Institute collaborated on the development of Shade's wearable UV sensor technology. NCI is featured on Shade's website as a key research partner alongside other leading institutions using the technology for clinical studies.
• Weill Cornell MedicineflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDermatologists at Weill Cornell Medicine (Dr. Jonathan Zippin and Dr. George Varghese) use Shade UV sensors for clinical research on sun protection and skin cancer prevention, with published results and ongoing study collaborations.
• Hôpital Européen (Marseille)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRheumatologist Dr. Laurent Chiche at Hôpital Européen in Marseille conducted exploratory studies using Shade sensors for lupus patient UV monitoring, reporting documented clinical improvements in patient health outcomes.
• University of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Utah research institution uses Shade UV sensor technology for clinical studies, featured among leading research institutions on Shade's website.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Minnesota research institution uses Shade UV sensor technology for clinical studies, featured among leading research institutions on Shade's website.
• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthwestern University research institution uses Shade UV sensor technology for clinical studies, featured among leading research institutions on Shade's website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• L'Oréal UV Sense: L'Oréal's UV Sense is a battery-free wearable UV sensor that adheres to the thumbnail and pairs with a companion app for UV exposure tracking. Directly competes with Shade in the consumer UV wearable category, though L'Oréal's version is adhesive-mounted rather than wrist-worn and is positioned as part of the beauty/sun care portfolio.
• Solar Light Company: Solar Light Company manufactures scientific-grade UV radiometers and measurement instruments used in clinical research, pharmaceutical testing, and environmental monitoring. Competes with Shade in the clinical-grade UV measurement market, though Solar Light's products are benchtop laboratory instruments rather than wearable devices.
• Davis Instruments: Davis Instruments manufactures professional weather stations with UV and solar radiation sensors used in research and environmental monitoring. Competes with Shade in the clinical and research UV measurement market where Shade positions its device as comparable to $5,000+ scientific-grade instruments like Davis's Vantage Pro stations.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin: Garmin's high-end smartwatches (Fenix, Forerunner, epix lines) include UV exposure tracking and environmental sensors as part of broader multisport health platforms. Competes with Shade as a broad wearable incumbent that can offer UV monitoring alongside GPS, heart rate, and training metrics at much larger consumer scale.
• Apple Watch (Apple): Apple Watch dominates the health wearable category with expanding environmental and skin-health features, and Apple has filed patents for UV sensing integration. As the largest smartwatch platform, Apple represents both a potential integration partner and a competitive threat to standalone UV wearables.
• Fitbit (Google): Fitbit's premium smartwatches (Sense, Versa) include skin temperature and environmental sensors, with Google's health platform increasingly integrating dermatology and sun exposure features. Competes with Shade as a broad consumer health wearable incumbent with much larger distribution and marketing budgets.

Emerging players

• SkinVision: SkinVision offers AI-powered smartphone-based skin cancer risk assessment and sun exposure tracking. Represents an adjacent emerging player in the digital dermatology space, addressing sun-related skin health through a smartphone camera/software approach rather than dedicated UV hardware.
• Netatmo (Legrand): Netatmo's Healthy Home Coach and weather station products include UV sensors and environmental monitoring for indoor and outdoor health tracking. As a smart home brand acquired by Legrand, Netatmo represents an emerging player in consumer UV/environmental monitoring with smartphone integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearshade
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearshade

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shade