NKF Innovation Fund invests in Canadian startup Northernmost to advance next-gen kidney preservation technology

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Innovation Fund has invested in Canadian startup Northernmost, to advance its next-generation kidney preservation technology. Northernmost is a medical device startup developing NoMo Kidney Pump. NKF will help fund development of Northernmost's new technology, a system designed to modernize the preservation and transport of donor kidneys for transplantation.

Currently, 71% of donor kidneys are preserved in static cold storage, a no-tech method that risks organ damage, limits safe storage time, and causes delayed graft function (DGF) and other adverse events. Perfusion machines circulate fluid through the kidney, optimizing preservation and providing real-time data on organ viability. But despite decades of clinical evidence demanding continuous perfusion, all the way from donor to recipient, today's machines are too large, unwieldy, and expensive to do the job routinely. With NoMo's small, simple, and smart design, Northernmost intends to eliminate ice coolers altogether.

This strategic investment aligns with NKF's commitment to advancing innovations that improve kidney transplantation outcomes, reduce organ discard rates, and expand access to life-saving transplants.

"The way donor kidneys are preserved and transported hasn't changed in decades, and too many viable organs are lost due to outdated methods," said Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. "Northernmost's NoMo Kidney Pump offers a more advanced, portable, and efficient solution to improve transplant outcomes. By investing in this technology, the NKF Innovation Fund is helping to ensure that more kidneys reach patients in optimal condition, reducing waste and saving lives."

With nearly 90,000 people currently on the kidney transplant waitlist, improving how donor organs are handled is critical. Research indicates that adopting continuous perfusion systems like NoMo could reduce kidney discards by more than 50% and save tens of billions in healthcare costs over the next decade.

"NKF's support encourages and inspires us," said Ron Mills, CEO of Northernmost. "We can't wait to introduce NoMo to the transplantation community this summer and to obsolete static cold storage in the years ahead. Because every donor kidney deserves to be pumped."

www.kidney.org
www.northernmost.ca

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