Apple reportedly made a big breakthrough on a secret non-invasive blood glucose monitor project that originally was part of a 'fake' startup

Lakshmi Varanasi
Wed, February 22, 2023 

Apple's blood glucose monitor could eventually be incorporated into the Apple Watch.

Apple had a breakthrough on a revolutionary blood glucose monitor, according to Bloomberg.


The project began under Steve Jobs, and has been underway for more than a decade.


The project is now part of Apple's XDG, but operated for some time under a startup called Avolonte.

Apple reportedly had a breakthrough on a secret project that could launch the company into a major force in the healthcare industry, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

It's a monitor that can continually measure a person's blood glucose levels without as much as a skin prick, according to Bloomberg. Instead, Apple's monitor will use optical absorption spectroscopy, a measurement process that relies on wavelengths of light to ultimately determine glucose levels, Bloomberg said.

The secret endeavor — called E5 — has been under wraps for the past several years, according to Bloomberg.

The project is part of the company's Exploratory Design Group, XDG, which is reportedly one of the most undercover initiatives at the company, Bloomberg reported. There are reportedly fewer people involved with E5 than there are with the company's self-driving car endeavor or its mixed reality headset, Bloomberg said.

Before E5 was incorporated into XDG, it was reportedly operating under a startup called Avolonte Health LLC, Bloomberg reported.

Avolonte was reportedly headquartered in Palo Alto, California — close to Apple's own headquarters in Cupertino — and team members had Avolonte badges instead of Apple badges, Bloomberg said. It was a way for Apple to keep its cover as it ran the project through human trials, amassed patients, and made partnerships, Bloomberg said.

Apple's eventual aim is to incorporate the monitor into the Apple Watch. When it does, the company will be positioned to disrupt a multimillion dollar industry where approximately 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes, and prick their skin to monitor their glucose levels, Bloomberg reported.

Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for a comment.