The final cohort was announced earlier this month at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN's 'Transforming Lives Through Innovation' Annual Conference in Leeds. The six start-ups bring innovation to market in diabetes management and support, digital patient triage, digital pathology, remote consultation in pharmacies and NHS centres, and application of AI to personalise patient treatment paths.
This announcement follows a rigorous application process, involving fourteen selected start-ups, where the final six companies: DigiBete, Healthcare Engineering, HeteroGenius, Medicsen, Medicspot and Scaled Insights, successfully demonstrated their innovative digital healthcare solutions and commitment to having a presence in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
The remaining shortlisted companies 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: "I'm delighted to welcome these health tech start-ups as they take their places on the inaugural Propel@YH digital health accelerator.
"They're about to embark on a six-month programme of masterclasses, surgeries and events focused on accelerating company growth and increasing their market presence. Core to this is developing a patient-centred, co-designed approach to their digital solutions with input from expert partner organisations and patient representatives."
One of Propel@YH's participants, Barry Singleton from Scaled Insights said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be selected for the first Propel@YH cohort, and excited at the prospect of participating in the programme.
"It's our belief that we can contribute to improving health outcomes for all, working alongside academics and clinicians, focused on personalisation, prediction, prevention and people-centred healthcare. It's incredibly rewarding that the people behind Propel@YH recognise the opportunity to facilitate our aspirations to co-create ‘tech for good’, and help us on our journey."
About the Propel@2019 cohort businesses
DigiBete addresses the critical need for a modern, digital solution to support self-management and innovative healthcare provision for patients and families living with type 1 diabetes through its patient-led, clinically approved digital video platform (Leeds).
Healthcare Engineering is a new start-up looking to revolutionise the delivery of front-line medicine through a patient-driven digital triage system (Huddersfield).
HeteroGenius specialises in bespoke and off-the-shelf software solutions in digital pathology, medical image analysis, machine learning and data mining (Leeds).
Madrid-based Medicsen provides a solution for the intelligent management of diabetes, which combines smart patch administration, glucose sensors and artificial intelligence.
Medicspot delivers primary care through its remote consultation stations and services in pharmacies (London).
Toronto-based Scaled Insights has recently chosen Leeds as the base for its global HQ and looks to assist healthcare providers in personalising treatment using its innovative behavioural artificial intelligence tool.
About Propel@YH
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN (Academic Health Science Network), in partnership with mHabitat, started the delivery of Propel@YH in January 2019.Propel@YH is the Yorkshire and Humber’s first regional digital health accelerator and will support organisations from across the world to bring their innovative digital health solutions to the region's patients and the wider health economy.
Propel@YH will provide a unique and tailored set of advisory, guidance and supportive services, enabling digital health solutions to flourish within the region.
Recognising that the sales cycle within healthcare can be challenging and often lengthy, Propel@YH will provide a structured programme of support and advice that will enable organisations to accelerate their growth and market presence in the longer term.
About Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network
Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is one of 15 AHSNs set up by NHS England in 2013 and relicensed from April 2018 to operate as the key innovation arm of the NHS.The aim of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is to create significant improvements in the health of the population by reducing service variability and improving patient experience in the health care system.
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN helps ensure new innovative products and services that have the potential to transform lives become part of routine clinical practice. The organisation also assists in providing economic growth for the region, supporting inward investment projects and industry that support the health sector.
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is the commissioning organisation behind Propel@YH and has funded the programme.
About mHabitat
Hosted by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, mHabitat supports people-centred digital innovation in health and social care. We have a social purpose - to develop digital technologies for good that address real-world problems.At the core of everything we do, is co-design with patients, citizens and practitioners. mHabitat works with providers and commissioners of health and care services, third and public sector, digital innovators and health tech companies, academic organisations, and national bodies such as NHS England and NHS Digital. We help our partners collaborate and innovate for social good. We run digital innovation and inclusion projects, programmes and accelerators as well as advising on policy and strategy.
mHabitat has been commissioned by the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN to lead the delivery of the Propel@YH Digital Health Accelerator.