Ten pioneering health start-ups are tackling some of the world’s toughest healthcare challenges, from lung cancer to eye disease, at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory.
The companies are the latest to join STFC’s Health Business Incubation Centre (Health BIC), helping start-ups bring innovative new ideas to market faster, improving lives and enabling success in global health markets.
From a simple blood test for earlier cancer detection to predicting heart disease years in advance with artificial intelligence (AI), these innovators are revolutionising healthcare to improve outcomes and reduce pressure on the NHS.
Paul Vernon, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said: “From early disease detection to advanced therapies, STFC is proud to support UK start-ups tackling society’s most pressing health challenges. Through world class facilities, expert guidance and collaboration opportunities, the Health BIC enables innovators turn breakthrough science into real-world healthcare solutions and to succeed in global markets.”
Located at Sci-Tech Daresbury in the Liverpool City Region, the Health BIC provides start-ups with a tailored support package worth up to £70,000, helping them turn breakthrough ideas into real-world healthcare solutions faster. Launched in 2024 with £1.8 million from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Innovation Zone Programme, the Health BIC sits within the growing North West Health Cluster, giving start-ups access to resources rarely available at an early stage. These include AI and prototyping facilities, expert business guidance, and intellectual property support, to accelerate the development of products that benefit patients, create jobs, and strengthen the UK’s health innovation ecosystem.
The latest start-ups to join the Health BIC and their projects are:
- Averywell - a minimally invasive blood test for early lung cancer detection
- Sarvas Health - AI-powered heart failure prediction, giving clinicians years of early warning
- Respiosa Health – a discreet oral implant providing mask-free therapy for sleep apnea
- EPONA Bio – developing a new class of therapies designed to advance the treatment of eye diseases
- Cardiology Devices - a support device for patients with advanced heart failure unable to undergo surgery or transplant
- OCUWELL - an affordable, portable corneal topography device
- PB Biologics - a patented method for safer, scalable microbiome therapies
- SIMFONIK - immersive audio simulations of patient stories to build empathy in healthcare professionals
- Lynch - a doctor-reviewed platform combining blood tests, lifestyle medicine, and behavioural science for longer, healthier lives
- Caremixer - AI-powered platform connecting health systems and services to deliver personalised care.
Pictured above are staff members from Cardiology Devices and Caremixer, two of the companies now located at STFC Daresbury Laboratory.
The 10 companies are the second cohort to join the Health BIC this year, with the first group having joined in April.