Meet the Start-ups Joining the Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge!

The UK healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving – and this is largely due to the convergence of advancing medicines and the digital revolution.

Here at Novartis UK, we are dedicated to tackling the healthcare challenges of the 21^st century by embracing innovations in data and digital. We are constantly looking for pioneering technologies that can better equip health care professionals to provide their patients with the best care.

This is why we are supporting the Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge. With our partners and affiliates, Up Ventures, Google, Push Doctor, MediaCityUK, The Landing, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Digital, Health Innovation Manchester, and Apadmi, we aspire to accelerate innovations that can advance healthcare into the clinic to improve the lives of patients for years to come.

The 12-week programme is designed to provide promising health-tech start-ups with world-class expertise and support to help make their ideas a reality. The challenge seeks to address some of the greatest needs in Greater Manchester as set by local health leaders. These include:

1. Solutions that improve the experience of those with dementia and/or frailty.

2. Solutions allowing primary care and outpatient services to be delivered in or near the home for patients.

3. Innovations to allow digital nudges (digital method of positively influencing people’s behaviour) to improve prevention and public health.

15 participants were selected from hundreds of applicants.

Meet the start-ups and find out more about their areas focus:

BuddyHub

BuddyHub exists to reduce loneliness and isolation in older people (50+) and promote a more active lifestyle. By using smart technology they better and more efficiently match ‘Members ' to ‘Buddy’ volunteers, helping to create a new sustainable friendship circle that is rewarding for everyone.

Cievert

Cievert is a web-based platform that tackles the problems surrounding routine patient follow-up, in particular driving efficiencies and improvement of care for those with long-term conditions.

Collabco

Collabco’s myday platform is designed to improve engagement between users (general public) and providers to improve communication between the user types and enable information sharing and data capture on a global scale.

Evergreen Life

Evergreen Life is a Personal Health Platform allowing people to own their own health records and interact with the health and care system which is then combined with digital nudges, advice and coaching. It also enables the sharing of information with trusted family members and carers to support personal care or the care of others.

Flock

Flock is aimed at people suffering from type two diabetes, obesity, and smoking or alcohol addiction. It uses a unique approach to digital profiling to define what each individual is motivated by and provides a pattern of digital nudges designed specifically for each individual.

Gendius

Gendius is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to calculate an individual’s risk of developing complications from diabetes. The associated secure dashboard enables healthcare professionals to track and monitor patients with the highest need and the hints and tips educate the patient around self-care and prevention of secondary complications.

GiveVision

GiveVision’s SightPlus is a clinically validated low vision aid that helps visually impaired people to see up close and at a distance, thus enabling patients with long-term conditions such as AMD, Diabetes or retinopathy that require regular attendance at outpatient clinics. It has already helped hundreds of low vision patients to improve their sight and work and live independently.

Healum

Healum solutions are intended for people with long-term conditions and use behaviour change interventions to improve lifestyle and support people to self-manage their conditions with support from healthcare professionals when outside the clinical environment.

Holovis

Holovis builds some of the world’s most advanced visualisation and software solutions by bringing together sensing technology, data analytics, and multi-sensory, immersive interactivity to solve problems and 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 by alerting systems. 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 drive change using technology that focuses on identifying operational efficiencies to improve the management of 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. This helps to maintain wellbeing, health and saves public funds by reducing hospital and care dependency.

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. It improves the availability of high-quality, evidence-based resources for the prevention and early intervention treatment 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, MHRA accredited (CE Mark) device 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.

Follow Novartis UK on Twitter (@NovartisUK) to follow the start-ups throughout their journey.