SBRI Healthcare funds companies to develop game-changing technologies

SBRI Healthcare, an NHS England funded initiative to develop innovative products that address unmet health needs, today announced the 11 companies that have successfully reached the next phase (Phase 2) of the clinically-led competition.

 

Each company will receive further funding of up to £1 million to develop products specifically focused on addressing challenges in five key areas of healthcare: Child & Maternal Health, Integrated Care, Medicines Adherence, Musculoskeletal and Telehealth/Telecare for people with Learning Disabilities.

From 26 companies awarded Phase 1 funding in December 2014, 11 have demonstrated best value and greatest technical feasibility to a panel of experts looking for game-changing technologies. The successful companies will now be supported and fully funded to continue with prototype development and product testing.

Companies receiving the latest SBRI Healthcare Phase 2 funding are:

Child & Maternal Health – BioSensors, Digital Creativity in Disability; Integrated Care – Bering, Docobo; Medicines Adherence – ADI,  Folium Optics; Musculoskeletal – Armourgel, MIRA Rehab; Telehealth/Telecare for people with Learning Disabilities – RedEmbedded, Maldaba, Cupris Health.

SBRI Healthcare is run by England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs).

Jon Siddall, Director of Investment Partnerships at South West AHSN commented, “SBRI Healthcare is about us finding innovations that solve problems that we face in the NHS. Congratulations to all the companies who have been successful in securing further funding to develop their products - it is good news for them, but it is also very good news for the NHS. The ideas they are working on will directly benefit patients and the NHS as a whole, typically improving health and saving money by finding solutions that work better than what we are doing at the moment.”

Mike Pallett, CEO of Cupris Health said, “SBRI Healthcare has been instrumental in the development of our smartphone otoscope and secure healthcare communication platform. Not only has the programme supplied the resources to develop and refine our product, it has provided essential validation from senior stakeholders within the NHS. It has helped to build our team, attract private investment, generate interest from customers and win prestigious awards such as the recent HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards. It is an absolute privilege to be awarded this Phase 2 project funding as it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how our innovation can drastically improve healthcare delivery for people with learning disabilities and the NHS in general.”

In the last year, SBRI Healthcare has launched 10 new clinically-led competitions and awarded £22.4 million to 60 companies to develop products focused on specific NHS unmet need.

To find out more visit www.sbrihealthcare.co.uk

About SBRI Healthcare

The Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) is an NHS England initiative, championed by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), whose role is to promote UK economic growth by spreading innovation and best practice across the NHS. The SBRI Healthcare competitions are launched on a biannual basis and result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and NHS England to meet known healthcare need.

Generally taking a three-phased development approach, projects start with a 6 month feasibility phase and can then move on to more detailed product development. Phase 1 contracts for feasibility testing are valued at up to £100,000 and last for six months. Phase 2 contracts for prototype development are worth up to £1 million over one year. Phase 3 contracts are intended to accelerate product adoption, with up to a further £1 million over 12 months, providing the opportunity for validation in NHS settings. While the public sector has the right to license the resultant technology, its intellectual property (IP) remains with the company, thereby enabling successful businesses to grow.

Funding for SBRI Healthcare has been secured from NHS England. The programme is directed by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN) on behalf of NHS England and the other regional AHSNs. Health Enterprise East is the management partner and supports the EAHSN to handle the applications, assessments and delivery against contracts.

Previous SBRI Healthcare competitions have called for technological and innovative solutions to, for example, change people’s behaviour in order to reduce the impact of obesity and alcohol related diseases, how to live well with dementia and improved medicine management.

About Academic Health Science Networks www.ahsnnetwork.com

There are 15 AHSNs across England. They connect academics, NHS, researchers and industry to accelerate the process of innovation and facilitate the adoption and spread of innovative ideas and technologies across large populations. They are driven by two imperatives: improving health and generating economic growth in their regions. SBRI Healthcare competitions are designed, supported and promoted in partnership with the AHSNs.

 
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Contacts:

SBRI Healthcare
Chris Armstrong
Health Enterprise East
 Email: chris.armstrong@hee.co.uk
 Phone: +44 (0)1223 928040


Media contact
Sarah Jeffery
Zyme Communications
 E-mail: sarah.jeffery@zymecommunications.com
 Phone: +44 (0) 7771 730919




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