New programme to turbo-charge digital health innovation
Propel@YH has announced the 14 start-ups selected to participate in its first digital health accelerator programme.
The Leeds-based programme was commissioned by the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN (Academic Health Science Network) in partnership with mHabitat, an NHS-owned specialist and expert in the application of digital to health and care.
The programme is targeted at SMEs with digital innovations that have the potential to improve health outcomes in the Yorkshire and Humber region. It will help this first cohort to navigate the complex healthcare landscape and build an NHS-relevant business case.
To be eligible for Propel@YH, applicant businesses must be able to demonstrate their innovative digital and patient solutions and have either an existing presence in the Yorkshire and Humber region, or be willing to establish one.
Of the 14 start-up applicants, seven hail from the Yorkshire and Humber region. The other seven SMEs will travel from across the rest of the United Kingdom, attracted to the potential of the region as a place to develop their companies and do business.
The shortlisted organisations and their innovations are:
Balsamee – digital health platform for community health services users with content tailored to patients’ needs (Cardiff)
Digibete Global Limited – digital video platform to support self-care and virtual clinics for children and young people with type 1 diabetes (Leeds)
DigiDentistry – 3D visual learning tool using augmented reality and animation for dentistry (Manchester)
Engagify – on-demand mental health support using artificial intelligence and natural language processing (Leeds)
Enyware – digital platform to support organisations’ internal communications (Northumberland)
Healthcare Engineering – patient-driven digital triage system (Huddersfield)
HeteroGenius – digital pathology image analysis using artificial intelligence (Leeds)
ITECHO Health – integrated app and web portal with machine learning to improve the management of chronic diseases (Leeds)
Kemuri Limited – remote wellbeing monitoring via the Sigfox ‘internet of things’ network (Woking)
Medicsen – diabetes management combining smart patch administration, glucose sensors and artificial intelligence (Leeds)
Medicspot – remote consultation stations and services in pharmacies (London)
Modality Systems – virtual consultation service for healthcare professionals (St Albans)
Restart Consulting – virtual patient record through a multi-directional open interoperability platform (Exeter)
Scaled Insights – behavioural artificial intelligence tool using written or spoken language (Leeds)
Following a pitch event in mid-April, six of these organisations will be selected to take part in the full six-month programme of masterclasses, digital innovator surgeries and events focused on human-related design, clinical safety by design, patient-centred design and understanding NHS procurement. The final cohort will be announced at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN Annual Conference on 9 May.
The remaining eight organisations will receive an associate support package, which will include valuable access to selected courses and sessions.
Neville Young, Director of Enterprise and Innovation for the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the interest shown in Propel@YH, and the number of high-quality applications that we received from a broad spectrum across the digital healthcare market. It truly demonstrates that the Yorkshire and Humber region is a real hotbed of digital innovation, not only for health tech businesses within its borders but also for companies from all over the UK.
“We’re really looking forward to meeting the shortlisted organisations at the pitch event in April and working with the final cohort when the accelerator programme commences in May.”
Each shortlisted organisation will have the opportunity to speed-pitch its innovative digital solution and network with the health tech community at the ‘Preview to Propel@YH’ evening event.
This event is part of Leeds Digital Festival and takes place on Wednesday 1 May at Co>Space North, the newly-launched co-working space in Leeds city centre, where Propel@YH will be based. More details for this event can be found on the Leeds Digital Festival website.
