MedTech SuperConnector Newsletter
March 2020
We’re pleased to announce that we opened applications for Cohort Four on the 16th of March 2020 in partnership with GSK Consumer Healthcare Next & Beyond, teams responsible for horizon scanning and driving innovation. Our challenge led accelerator programme will focus on technologies that innovate in this space; offering novel solutions, experimental and alternative ways of addressing how science, medicine and society understands, diagnoses and measures pain. Applications will be accepted from early career researchers, post-docs and PhD candidates in our partner institutions for technologies that provide novel solutions and innovate in this space.
We have also been working hard to continue to deliver the content for the ventures on our accelerator programme and have successfully started hosting all of our learning content virtually. Remaining agile and responsive to the changing circumstances brought on by COVID-19 is our number one priority and we aim to continue to deliver all aspects of the programme to the same high standard.
In this issue:
- Future of Pain – applications for Cohort Four
- Register your interest to join us at the Cohort Three Showcase
- In the spotlight; good news stories
- Collaborating to collaborate: interim results of the Connecting Capability Fund
- Precision psychiatry for depression management
Stay safe!
Future of Pain – Applications of Cohort Four
Applications for Cohort Four opened on Monday 16th March 2020 in partnership with GSK Consumer Healthcare Next & Beyond teams. We are accepting applications from early career researchers, post-docs and PhD candidates already developing a technology in the lab at one of our partner institutions. Technologies can directly address the challenge, but we are particularly interested hearing from individuals exploring the possibility of repurposing existing technology. This six-month challenge accelerator programme offers access to up to £45,000 in project funding, participant salary replacement (amount to be confirmed at offer stage), masterclasses, access to domain specialists and co-working space.
How technologies may innovate or address the challenge
- Understanding – New and novel ways to understand and objectively measure pain
- Pre-emption and prevention – Early interventions and preventative tools to reduce risk factors associated with pain
- Visualisation and interpretation – Tools and approaches to support clinicians and individuals with the interpretation of data and alternative explanatory methods
- Management and treatment – New and novel ways to improve quality of life suffered by pain patients
These are not final nor the only subarea your technology or venture may fit. We actively welcome new and novel ways of thinking about the challenge theme.
If you would like to find out more about the programme or have any questions sign up for the virtual information session on Thursday, 4:30pm-5:30pm 30th April 2020.
COVID-19 we are monitoring the situation closely and will be carrying out all recruitment activity digitally along with the learning the portion of the programme for the foreseeable future.
Apply Now
Register your interest to join us at the Cohort Three showcase
We would like to invite you to register your interest in joining us for the Cohort Three technology led Venture Accelerator showcase. Hear pitches from the ventures and learn about their journey through this unique accelerator programme. We’ll also be joined by a panel of experts and hear from keynote speakers. Format and final agenda to be confirmed.
Register your interest
In the spotlight; good news stories
- Congratulations VUI Diagnostics for winning the second around of Glow New Media’s HealthTech Prototyper competition.
- Also a big congratulations to Spyras for winning the One to Watch London Business Awards 2020!
- Charco Neurotech are aiming to close a £300k round of funding. If you have angel connections or VC’s who would be a great fit for their venture, co-founder Lucy Jung would love to hear from you. They have recently welcomed two new team members and have partnered with Parkinson’s Concierge to connect with more people with Parkinson’s.
- Great to hear that Letizia Gionfrida Founder & CEO of Arthronica presented at the Royal Society of Medicine’s Recent developments in AI and digital health 2020 event late last month.
Collaborating to Collaborate: interim results of the Connecting Capability Fund
Research England has released its first report highlighting the learnings and successes of the Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) projects. As a programme funded under this funding stream it’s great to read about the shared experience of running truly collaborative projects and to see real examples of how a diversity of talent is important to the commercialisation process.
Read Alice Frost (Director of Knowledge Exchange, Research England) summary of the findings.
Read the full report
Precision psychiatry for depression management
Formed at MTSC two day hackathon event last February and supported through a collaboration with the Royal College of Art during Cohort Two six-month accelerator programme Affect.AI have gone from strength to strength. Now supported by Imperial’s Venture Mentoring Service and Imperial Enterprise Lab Venture Catalyst Challenge. Watch the video below for an inside look into this unique collaboration.
Affect.AI believe monitoring is the first step to better treatment. Through developing a state of the art deep learning solution that provides personalised monitoring of mood from a vocal responses to simple questions like ‘What is your plan for the day?’ With frequent and reliable assessment of severity, they want to empower measurement based care of mood disorders and shorten the cycle of trial and error in medication.
Affect.AI will be joining us at the SEHTA MedTech Expo & Conference 28th September 2020. Stop by our exhibitor stand to meet team members Woochan Hwang and Dr Alice Tang to find out more about their cutting-edge technology and how to support.
By Augusta Critchley
Article text (exluding photos or graphics) © MedTech SuperConnector. Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission of © MedTech SuperConnector