INSIGHTS / Blog

Whilst many might feel that December was a slow month for new projects, these five businesses didn’t once take their feet off the gas.

From tackling post-operation rejection in heart transplant patients to reducing antimicrobial susceptibility testing times, this cohort of new recruits has one thing on their minds, and that’s scaling their business to advance the development of their innovations.

Let’s meet the five companies who joined the Scale-Up programme in December.

iFast

With every passing day, bacteria become increasingly more resistant to antibiotics. iFAST is working to combat the long antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) process, whilst improving patient outcomes by providing the right drug every time. Current AST takes between 48 and 72 hours, presenting a scenario where patients often deteriorate whilst waiting for the correct drug. But the iFAST system reduces that time down to just four hours. Through its involvement in the Scale-Up programme, iFAST is looking to collaborate with researchers and clinicians in the antimicrobial resistance space. Visit their Envestry page.

 

High Temperature Material Systems

High Temperature Material Systems create innovative solutions for applications in the engineering sector. Ceramic Matrix Composites, also known as CMCs, are a durable material boasting multifunctional properties that continue to function at high temperatures and when under heavy stress. HTMS’ composite makeup can withstand temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius, whilst producing these materials three times cheaper and three times lighter than its competitors. With the support of the Scale-Up programme, the HTMS team is seeking funding to take its material systems from the lab to commercialisation.

 

Santorini Scientific

Every year, more than 8,000 heart transplants are performed around the world. However, due to rejection factors and the severe side effects of immunosuppressant drugs, the post-op lifetime remains as short as only ten years. Santorini Scientific seek to improve a patient’s quality of life, b by reducing transplant rejection rates and minimising the need for immunosuppressant drugs in postoperative care plans. They wish to utilise AI within its research, collaborating with academic researchers to develop a better understanding of the human heart and allow patients to live their lives to the fullest, for longer.

StreetDrone

StreetDrone and its technology are making autonomy available to all. Focusing on near-term applications and slow-moving vehicles, StreetDrone was the first company in the world to offer subscription-based autonomous driving software and the first in Europe to run an “open-source” autonomous vehicle on the road. Developing software, remote driving solutions, and a drive-by-wire robot which allows vehicles to be controlled entirely by the computer, StreetDrone is making great headway towards the future of safe self-driving transportation.

 

Senseful AI

Employees spend 20% of their time searching the internet for information, and 34% of users say that results often omit important results to their search. Senseful AI is building an advanced intelligent search engine that unlocks people’s rich linguistic and conceptual knowledge to help them find information that is relevant to them. Moving away from physical keyword matching, the current search engine formula, Senseful AI’s software searches with keyword relationships in mind, bringing a relevant and more accurate search result to your screen.

 

Over the last four years, our Scale-Up Programme has helped members secure more than £100m of collective funding for their tech innovations. Through university collaboration, the Programme offers tailored business support for companies working on new and advanced technologies, including bid/tender guidance, timely access to funding calls, and bespoke mentoring opportunities.

If your business is looking to access investment and funding to accelerate your innovation development, take a look at the benefits of joining our Scale-Up Programme.

Start your Scale-Up journey in 2023! Apply today.