Up to the challenge! UP ventures launches the Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge

15 HealthTech companies selected for accelerator programme at The Landing, MediaCityUK

After receiving hundreds of applications, UP Ventures, the global tech accelerator, has announced the medical and health technology companies who are taking part in the new Greater Manchester Future of Health challenge – based at The Landing at MediaCityUK – including several from the North West region.

The cohort was selected by key partners in the Greater Manchester healthcare ecosystem – a ground-breaking example of collaboration across the region. The accelerator programme is run by UP Ventures and delivered in partnership with Novartis, Push Doctor, Google, The Landing, MediaCityUK, Salfold Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Digital, Health Innovation Manchester and Apadmi, who also recently announced their move to The Landing.

Applications were open to health tech businesses from around the country, and the selected companies include those from London, Belfast and Kent. A number of North West-based businesses have been chosen, including Alderley Edge-based Gendius, a platform that uses AI to calculate risks relating to diabetes, and Manchester-based Mind Moose, a digital activity platform that helps children develop self-awareness and self-esteem.

Founder and CEO of UP Ventures, Danny Meaney, said

“We received and reviewed hundreds of applications for the GM Future of Health Challenge and have been hugely impressed. The response is a testament to both UP’s repututation and connections in the early stage tech ecosystem, and Greater Manchester’s international reputation as a great place to grow early stage tech businesses.”

Josie Cahill, Head of Stakeholder Engagement for MediaCityUK, said:

“MediaCityUK has a great and ever-growing track record of successful accelerator programmes. Health innovation is one of our key focuses and we’re delighted to see the strength and calibre of applications. We will continue to support and encourage these types of partnership programmes which speak to MediaCityUK’s ambition to be a living lab for the UK’s most exciting and emerging technologies. Watch this space for future opportunities.”

The 15 fast-growth start-up and scale-up businesses have been selected based on their potential to transform lives through the application of innovative technology, particularly those focused on supporting people with long-term health conditions such as dementia, diabetes and vision impairments, and innovations that will improve public health through prevention. The accelerator programme will support these companies to drive innovation, create new business opportunities and attract investors.

Karen Fox, Strategic Partnerships Lead for Novartis said,

“At Novartis, we are committed to reimagining medicine for the benefit of patients and crucial to this is how we work with digital technology and data science. We want to work smart and innovatively to deliver meaningful results. The best way to achieve this is to work collaboratively with innovative companies. This partnership offers Novartis an opportunity to not only establish a strong presence in, and bring value to the field of health technology but also learn from and collaborate with entrepreneurial partners to rapidly test and validate potential new solutions, ultimately delivering innovations with the potential to reimagine medicine with data and digital.”

Dan Sodergren, Head of Business Services at The Landing, said:

“The Landing has developed a specialism in digital health and we are fully geared up to help drive this programme. We’re excited to welcome these businesses from all over the UK and particularly pleased to see a number of North West-based companies in this cohort. As a region we continue to lead the way with the outstanding technology firms who either start-up here or choose to move here and we’re confident all the companies in this Greater Manchester Future of Health accelerator will benefit hugely from this experience.”

The Greater Manchester Future of Health challenge business are:

BuddyHub – reduces loneliness and isolation in older people by using smart technology to match members to volunteers
Cievert – a web-based platform that tackles the problems surrounding routine patient follow-up and improvement of care for those with long-term conditions.
Collabco – its myday platform is designed to improve engagement between people and their healthcare providers
Evergreen Life – apersonal health platform allowing people to own their own health records and interact with the health and care system. It also enables the sharing of information with trusted family members and carers to support personal care or the care of others.
Flock -aimed at people suffering from type two diabetes, obesity, and smoking or alcohol addiction and digital profiling to provide a pattern of digital nudges designed specifically for each individual.
Gendius -a platform that uses artificial intelligence to calculate an individual’s risk of developing complications from diabetes.
GiveVision – GiveVision’s SightPlus is a clinically validated low vision aid that helps visually impaired people to see up close and at a distance. It has already helped hundreds of low vision patients to improve their sight and work and live independently.
Healum -itssolutions are intended for people with long-term conditions and use behaviour change interventions to support people to self-manage their conditions with support from healthcare professionals.
Holovis – builds some of the world’s most advanced visualisation and software solutions to measure and monitor patients’ responses and wellbeing.
Howz Howz is a smart home system designed to help older people suffering from conditions such as dementia or frailty to stay independent for longer. It learns a person’s daily routine and uses this to detect short term anomalies and long term changes.
ImproveWell ImproveWell is a quality improvement platform designed to empower frontline staff to improve experiences and outcomes for patients. From the ward to the board, everyone can make suggestions to improve their workplace.
Konsie Konsie is bringing Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the home to support elderly
independent living, dramatically reducing injuries and loss of independence associated with
falls, strokes and immobilising conditions.
Mind Moose MindMoose helps children understand how their brain works and to develop healthy self-awareness and self-esteem by using fun, interactive digital tools to support early intervention and prevention in children’s mental health.
My Cognition MyCognition is dedicated to understanding and improving cognition. Taking a research-based approach has resulted in has an NHS approved platform that allows a user to comprehensively track, change and consolidate their cognitive health, strengthening their health and mental resilience.
TriMedika TriMedika is an innovative thermometer that uses no consumables and has zero contact with the patient (infection control and patient comfort). The thermometer delivers cost and time savings for nurses and reducing hospital infections & plastic waste.

About The Landing
• The Landing is MediaCityUK’s dedicated technology incubator hub for high-growth technology & digital start-Ups, scale-ups and SMEs.
• It provides Workspace (office and co-working), Incubator programmes, User Testing Labs, Barclays Eagle Labs, Digital Catapult Immersive Lab and their exclusive lounge and bar Social7, along with incredible technical infrastructure and connectivity, to ensure its 100+ companies can turn new technologies into happy, sustainable businesses
• The Landing gives digital SMEs and micro-businesses a place to work alongside large media and technology organisations, allowing them to be part of and benefit from the exciting and rapidly growing community at MediaCityUK. Spanning six floors, The Landing combines all cross-sections of the digital creative industry to create a unique environment where SMEs can thrive. From digital workflow, post production and interactive media labs to meeting, working and social spaces, we offer everything under one roof.
• The Landing has contributed more than £25m a year and 1600 jobs to the Greater Manchester economy and almost £100m to the UK economy, hosting over 10,000 delegates from all over the world every year at events, conferences, workshops and hacks.
• The Landing also has roots in community, supporting 600 jobs a year in Salford. Over 100 children from Salford schools over the past year have attended workshop sessions and over 450 Salford residents have taken part in digital skills programmes.