Two dozen health-tech firms join project to close Sheffield's huge health gap

Sheffield Hallam University’s £900,000 business ’accelerator’ will give them a massive shot in the arm as they battle to improve our fitness and help people manage long term conditions through exercise.

They also have the city’s inequality in their sights. The average person in Darnall lives to 50 in good health - in Fulwood it’s 68.

The unit is based in the university’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in Attercliffe and its mission is to help ‘health-tech’ start-ups make the most of innovative and potentially valuable ideas.

Each one gets £20,000 to conduct research, access to laboratories, assistance from 72 expert mentors and blue-chip partners like IBM, and help finding investors.

Simon Butler, head of the AWRC Wellbeing Accelerator, said they had been inundated with almost 80 applications from around the world, despite the pandemic.

Launched in April, it will work with 24 - including SleepCogni and JT Rehab from Sheffield - on a four-month rolling scheme that ends in May

He added: “As far as we are aware we are the first accelerator to run this kind of support. It’s a gateway into the AWRC and we hope they will continue as long-term partners of the AWRC and therefore Sheffield, and possibly relocate here.

“Since we started we’ve heard so many stories about our support and how much they value being on the programme.

“I think the pandemic has shown we all need help with our wellbeing.”

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the first phase has been delivered virtually, he added.

But, when safe, it wants to bring in people from neighbouring Darnall to help test innovations.

Mr Butler said: “We’re about to launch a competition for the local community, if someone has a great idea they can be accepted on to the project and get free mentoring and support to develop a business case.”

The accelerator has funding until March. It is lobbying for more cash and three-to-five years of service “would be the dream” he added.

The main AWRC, which cost £14m, is on the site of the former Don Valley Stadium running track and opened in January. It works with established companies to solve health challenges.

At the launch, vice chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Sir Chris Husbands, said the city’s health gap was ‘unacceptable’.

He added: “We have designed-out exercise and movement at enormous cost. This place offers practical solutions to the health crisis.”

Businesses on the AWRC accelerator programme include:

SleepCogni - from Sheffield, the maker of a patented device which combines cognitive behavioural therapy biofeedback device with real-time analytics, enabling clinicians to diagnose and treat sleep disorders remotely.

JT Rehab – a Sheffield-based start-up which has developed the S-Press medical rehabilitation device which improves patients’ leg strength.

Footfalls & Heartbeats – a Nottingham-based intelligent textiles business. It has patented a technique in which sensors are knitted directly into textiles. The technology can be applied to compression bandages, wound care, injury rehabilitation, baby monitoring and performance monitoring textiles for athletes.

Selfit Medical – an Israeli start-up based in Tel Aviv. It has developed a ‘robot therapist’ for people with brain and heart disorders which guides them through a physical therapy plan by projecting directions onto the floor, combined with audio prompts, and the capacity to film and review.

Golf in Society – a Yorkshire-based social enterprise with a mission to improve the lives of people living with dementia, stroke and Parkinson’s by introducing them to golf.

Mynurva – a London-based start-up specialising in online mental health therapy. It provides fast access to therapy or counselling, confidentially, securely and discreetly, via its live video platform. There are no waiting rooms, and no travelling.

Etexsense – a Southampton-based start-up developing wearable ’e-textiles’ to treat gait abnormality drop foot.

Aseptika – a Cambridge-based business which has developed a remote monitoring system for patients with non-communicable diseases.

Motitech - A Norwegian start-up, with a UK operation, that motivates older adults and those with dementia to do more physical activity.

Shapemaster – a Holmfirth-based manufacturer of power-assisted exercise equipment for people who feel uncomfortable within a traditional gym and to support activity in older adults and those living with long term health conditions.

Run 3D – an Oxford-based spin out providing 3D gait analysis and a retraining platform to help people walk and run pain-free.

mayathon – is a London-based startup with an app that uses a buddy system to help people be more active for 26 minutes per day, for 26 days.

Lovedby – from Manchester, its product Nudg is a personalised education platform for adolescents managing a chronic condition. It changes behaviour and habits using nudge techniques to encourage long-term health and wellbeing improvements.

Sheffield cyber-security firm Ioetec are ‘entrepreneurs in residence’, mentoring start-ups and making data secure, confidential and authentic. It has worked with government spy agency GCHQ.

Boss Mark Davies previously said a lot of people were “putting sensors on stuff” that was generating a lot of personal information.

He added: “We want to give start-ups the benefit of our experience and help raise their profile. It’s nice to give something back because we have benefited from these ecosystems.”

The Wellbeing Accelerator is one of 20 University Enterprise Zones, launched with a £20m investment delivered by Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation.

The AWRC, which forms the centrepiece of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the population through innovations that help people move.

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