Research Ventures Catalyst: successful applications
Successful applications that will progress to the next stage of the Research Ventures Catalyst programme to stimulate the creation of novel research ventures.
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12 successful applications that will progress to the next stage of the Research Ventures Catalyst programme. This follows an open call for proposals to establish new organisational models for tackling research challenges.
Successful applicants will receive up to £100,000 ‘seed corn’ funding. This funding will be used by applicants over the next 6 months to fully develop plans for their proposals. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) may ultimately fund the best proposals with up to £25 million each.
The 12 successful proposals are:
1. Artemis Metrics
A consortium led by Greensphere Capital propose to establish a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) to develop science-based decision support tools to accurately and ethically map, measure, monitor and verify biodiversity to deliver outputs for entrepreneurial companies to develop user-friendly, trusted products. Key members of the consortium include the Gaia Sciences Innovation, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and the University of York. Contact the team for more information on this proposal – info@greenspherecapital.com.
2. Bind
An interdisciplinary team of researchers proposes to establish a FRO to deliver new tools and drugs for currently untreatable diseases involving disordered proteins. Contact the team for more information on this proposal – info@bindresearch.com.
3. CybergenX
Academics at Edinburgh University seek to establish an FRO that will usher in the era of Generative Pre-trained Transformers for Engineering Biology by pioneering a technology that allows intracellular signals to be mapped at unprecedented scale and resolution. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - CybergenX@ed.ac.uk.
4. EVA
Researchers at Edinburgh University are creating a Venture Builder that will co-locate researchers, innovators and investors, along with commercial/government users, with the aim of pushing the frontiers of next-generation semiconductor technologies for AI. Find out more about this proposal here - eil.ac/EVA.
5. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with Oxford Nanopore
A proposal for an organisation to be established by Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Oxford Nanopore technologies that will develop a prototype end-to-end automated metagenomic sequencing test that can be used to improve critical early patient treatment decisions and provide data for antimicrobial resistance or pandemic surveillance. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - Tom.Langford@gstt.nhs.uk.
6. Materials MedTech Centre
A consortium from the Henry Royce Institute and Tata Steel Ltd proposes a MedTech centre to pursue a new approach to applying materials innovations to support the nation’s health, focusing on bio-electronics, wound care, and bone replacement. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - ania.jolly@royce.ac.uk, oliver.drakeford@manchester.ac.uk.
7. MEMetic
Academics from Aston University propose to establish an FRO to drive forward a novel technology with utility wherever waste meets water. Through the use of exquisitely selective, biometric membranes, the team aims to combat water pollution, recover high value waste in manufacturing processes, and streamline bioprocesses amongst other applications. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - a.goddard@aston.ac.uk, m.derry@aston.ac.uk, l.southan@aston.ac.uk, p.r.knobbs@aston.ac.uk.
8. Newton’s Cradle
Newton’s Tree proposes to establish Newton’s Cradle, a medical AI venture builder delivered by a consortium of healthcare providers, academia and a multi-vendor network. The Cradle will develop a validated methodology for building medical AI products, in collaboration with the health system, to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - info@newtonstree.com.
9. PharosAI
King’s College London are leading a consortium from academia, healthcare, and industry to deliver a novel platform providing highly curated and clinically valuable multi-modal datasets and digital solutions for swift development, robust clinical evaluation, and efficient deployment of AI powered innovation into the NHS. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - anita.grigoriadis@pharosai.co.uk, gregory.verghese@pharosai.co.uk.
10. Plant Cell Research Centre
Researchers from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory propose a plant cell research centre to accelerate the development of nutrient-dense, low-input and climate-resilient crops for UK agriculture and to support global food security and global sustainability goals. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - jonathan.clarke@jic.ac.uk.
11. Psychiatry Consortium
Medicines Discovery Catapult is leading a proposal for a Psychiatry Consortium to deliver transformative discoveries and capabilities for medicine discovery in mental health. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - sara.imarisio@md.catapult.org.uk.
12. UK Centre of Excellence for Precision Therapeutic Implants (UKCEPTI)
A team of researchers from Oxford University and entrepreneurs propose establishing a UK centre of excellence for precision therapeutic implants to accelerate and scale the process for organ repair and support healthy ageing. Contact the team for more information on this proposal - rakeshroshan@oxford3dbio.com.
Contact us
Proposals will need to secure matched funding from non-public sources to deliver their venture. Investors who are interested in any of the proposals above may contact applicants directly via the details provided on this page, or contact the RVC team at researchventures@dsit.gov.uk.
Background
DSIT expects to fund between 2-5 proposals which will be based on an assessment of the full plans developed in the next stage of the programme.
This builds on the department’s commitment to test different models of funding science by supporting a range of innovative organisational models, with the aim of spurring greater co-investment from the private sector and philanthropy. Learn more about Research Ventures Catalyst.
Last updated 26 March 2024 + show all updates
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Full details of the 12 successful applications that will progress to the next stage of the Research Ventures Catalyst Programme, published.
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First published.