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Alta Innovations Ltd, Birmingham, 11 January 2017:

University of Birmingham announces first investment from Spinout Investment fund

The University of Birmingham has made the first investment from its £5m University of Birmingham Spinout Investment fund, which provides match funding for spinout companies in which the University is, or will become, a shareholder.

The investment has been made to Smart Antenna Technologies, a spinout founded in 2013 to develop a new generation of antenna for smart phones and laptops. Currently mobile devices have separate antennae for GPS, WiFi, BlueTooth, G4, and G5. Smart Antenna has invented a new antenna system that combines these separate antennas into a single unit, providing a considerable saving in space, battery life and cost.

The University of Birmingham Spinout Investment fund was created to provide investment where there is a clear commercial appetite for the technology, the concept or product has passed proof of concept testing and where there is confidence in the management board to deliver to the next stage of planned growth.

Smart Antenna’s technology will extend smart phone battery life by up to 10%. The company estimates the demand from the mobile device market will exceed 2 billion units per year, and will be exploiting the substantial opportunities in other markets including the Internet of Things and car antenna systems.

The University of Birmingham investment was part of a £1 million investment raise, which will enable Smart Antenna Technologies to recruit additional engineering staff and complete product development with a major industry partner.

Dr James Wilkie, CEO of the University’s tech transfer company Alta Innovations said: “The technology developed by Smart Antenna has attracted substantial interest and we believe this is an exciting time to invest.”

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About Smart Antenna Technologies

Smart Antenna Technologies was found founded in 2013 by Dr Sampson Hu, who has been working on the core technology since 2009, while completing his PhD at the University of Birmingham. Dr Hu received support from Alta Innovations, the University’s technology transfer company, which operates an end-to-end training and support service for entrepreneurs at the University. Smart Antenna Technologies is based in Edgbaston, Birmingham and has a separate office in Bath. The company has grown from 3 employees to around 20 in three years. For more information see: http://www.smartantennatech.com/

About Alta Innovations

Alta Innovations is the technology transfer company for the University of Birmingham. It provides an Intellectual Property service to University academics, and its offerings also include free business training and mentoring, office and laboratory space at the Birmingham Research Park. Alta Innovations also manages the University of Birmingham spinout portfolio, which includes both life science and technology companies.

For further information about the University of Birmingham spinout portfolio, or for an interview with Dr Sampson Hu, please contact Ruth Ashton, Communications Manager, on 0121 414 9090, 07989 558 041, or email [email protected]

About the University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries.

For more information on the University of Birmingham, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out of hours media enquiries, please call: +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

The BioHub Birmingham®, Birmingham’s flagship life science incubator, is hosting its first BioBrum Life Science event on 16^th February 2017.  Aimed at pre-revenue life science companies the free event will include talks on finance, intellectual property, effective use of professional networks and business development.  There will also be an opportunity for one-to-one advice sessions with IP, finance and business planning specialists.

The event will be held at the Birmingham Research Park, which houses a community of research-led companies and is the home of The BioHub.  All eligible companies registering for the event will have the opportunity to win six months free laboratory space at The BioHub*, and complementary business assistance provided by the Enterprise Acceleration team at the University of Birmingham. We are looking for highly disruptive and innovative approaches, and the projects will be judged on how novel they are, as well as their long term commercial potential.

The BioHub is nestled amongst a vibrant life science community including the University of Birmingham, and two leading NHS hospitals – together with their associated centres of clinical and research excellence. The BioHub provides facilities for incubation and growth of life science companies from proof of concept stage to fully fledged, commercially competitive businesses. It provides access to top quality shared biomedical lab equipment and desk space at a fraction of commercial rates.  A negotiable, all inclusive, monthly rate allows the fledgling life science companies to work towards reaching a commercially competitive stage. 

The BioHub has an enviable geographic position at the heart of the Edgbaston Medical Quarter, and benefits from the superb transport links provided by the dedicated University railway station and free parking.  The BioHub residents can also benefit from the expertise, facilities and equipment at the University of Birmingham.

We thank Barker Brettell, HGF and Blue Sky Finance for their sponsorship and support for the event, Birmingham Research Park for providing the conference facility, and gratefully acknowledge support from WMAHSN (West Midlands Academic Health Sciences Network), OBN, BIA (BioIndustry Association), Innovate UK – The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, ioLight, Medilink WM and Bob Roopra Consulting.

To attend the event, send your expression of interest to Dr Ewa Truchanowicz at [email protected]. 

* The prize has to be redeemed/licence commenced within six months of receipt. It can be redeemed as either six months free for one bench and one desk at the BioHub or as two benches for shorter period of time, or any other combination up to the licence value of £6,840. Additional business support from BizzInn will also be provided free of charge to the winner. No equity will be taken in lieu of the prize. 

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For further information about the Birmingham BioHub visit www.thebiohub.co.uk, email [email protected], or call 07752 152 569.

On 4^th January 2017, a new café will open at the Birmingham Research Park.  Located in the foyer of the Institute of Research & Development, the Park Life café will be open on weekdays 8.00am to 3.15pm (3pm Fri) and will serve hot & cold food, snacks and beverages.  The café will be open to staff and students from the University of Birmingham campus, in addition to tenants from the Birmingham Research Park and the University’s bio-incubator facility at Birmingham BioHub.  Staff ID cards can be used for purchasing food, and the menu will include breakfast bacon sandwiches, baked potatoes, paninis, soup, cakes and breakfast pastries. 

Train delays caused by leaves on the line could be avoided if a new, low-cost sensor developed at the University of Birmingham is used on railway networks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-38158732

Innovation Birmingham, Alta Innovations and the University of Birmingham have secured £2.05m funding from the European Union to deliver business support and incubation services for the city’s hi-tech entrepreneurs and SMEs.

University of Birmingham commercialisation teams, in addition to The Birmingham BioHub®, a purpose-built facility that provides entrepreneurs and innovative start-ups with access to affordable laboratory facilities and equipment.

In addition to technical support, businesses will benefit from local professional experts through a combination of one-to-one structured support, workshops and networking events. They will be able to locate themselves within co-working spaces at either the E4F Incubator on the Innovation Birmingham Campus, the focal point for Birmingham’s tech/digital community or the BizzInn Incubator. Support will be provided to eligible companies free of charge, typically over a period of up to nine months.

Katharine Fuller, head of projects at Innovation Birmingham, said: “With over 14,152 companies launched in Birmingham last year alone, the region continues to be a hotspot for entrepreneurialism and, with a large, skilled and youthful workforce, established infrastructure and strong digital connectivity, it is vital that we continue facilitate and support new and existing talent by providing the necessary conditions for them to thrive.

“This funding will go some way towards achieving this goal and BizzInn will be a fantastic addition in delivering the next phase of this project.”

David Coleman, head of enterprise acceleration at the University of Birmingham, said: “Through the close collaboration of our respective hi-tech support programmes, we’re providing stronger and more identifiable places for hi-tech entrepreneurs and businesses in Birmingham to access support.  Our interventions will help teams at all stages, from proving the viability of their concept, to building teams and relevant supplier or customer contacts, to attracting finance.”

Since the launch of the Entrepreneurs for the Future programme in November 2009, over 136 tech start-ups have been created, with £12.3m of investment secured during initial funding rounds. As part of the incubator programme, qualifying innovative start-ups receive up to nine months’ office space, mentoring, use of video conferencing equipment and meeting room and superfast broadband at the Innovation Birmingham Campus.

Serviceteam IT has announced it has achieved a Silver Cloud Productivity Competency, thereby demonstrating readiness to meet the evolving needs of Microsoft customers in today’s dynamic business environment. Increasing numbers of businesses are looking to transition to Office 365, as a result of it’s enhanced productivity and security features. However, in what can be a challenging and complex process, Serviceteam IT have demonstrated their capacity to successfully deliver and support Microsoft’s suite of Office 365 services. In earning a silver competency, Serviceteam IT has placed amongst the top 5 percent of Microsoft Partners Worldwide.

In recognising the future of cloud-based technologies, Serviceteam IT also provide Connectivity Services such as Leased Line Fibre Ethernet, Cloud Security, and Amazon Web services. Most recently they have been working with fellow Research Park tenant, Arun Luther of Genesis Innovations, to streamline business communications with IP Telephony.

Figures published in 2016 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have confirmed that the Clinical Research Network (CRN) West Midlands is the highest recruiting Network in England.

The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS, and this research is delivered and supported by 15 local Networks. In the last ten years the Network has recruited 544,115 participants into high quality studies across the West Midlands – 64,278 of these in the last 12 months alone; the highest in the country.

Ultimately, clinical research means patients get access to new treatments, interventions and medicines, and investment in research means better, more cost-effective patient care. And with more than 3,000 different studies available in the West Midlands across 30 health specialties, Network Clinical Director Professor Jeremy Kirk explains how over the last decade the region has earned its reputation as the most active in the country.

Professor Kirk commented: “It is a fantastic reflection of the hard work and enthusiasm of our dedicated staff and researchers within the Clinical Research Network West Midlands that we have recruited over 64,000 patients this year into portfolio studies, the largest number of any region in England. Moreover, that since the formation of the NIHR 10 years ago we have recruited more patients than anyone else not only confirms our regional credentials as a research powerhouse, but has also meant that over half a million patients regionally have been recruited into high quality studies.

“The more patients that we can encourage to take part in vital clinical research, the quicker the NHS can introduce new and better treatments for the benefit of all patients, as well as using NHS resources more efficiently.”

Participants have been recruited from every NHS Trust in the West Midlands, from more than half of the region’s GP practices, and in hospices, nursing homes, pharmacies, schools and prisons.

David Loughton, Chief Executive of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which hosts the Network, adds: “The success of the CRN in the West Midlands is testament to a lot of hard work, commitment and excellence and as a Trust we are delighted with this success story.”

A British tech start-up has invented a world-first multi-function antenna for laptops that fits into the extremely limited space of the hinge cavity.

The Department of Health has awarded Birmingham £12m to help advance research into inflammatory diseases.

The funding from the National Institute of Health Research  (NIHR) for the Birmingham BRC in Inflammation combines our world-class strengths in immunology and inflammation research and extensive experimental medicine infrastructure. This will support a five-year programme between the NHS and University as core partners of Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) to better understand and treat a range of debilitating diseases for patients in Birmingham and beyond.

Professor David Adams, Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Director of Birmingham Health Partners and the new Birmingham NIHR BRC comments; “We are delighted that the NIHR have funded a Biomedical Research Centre in inflammatory disease in Birmingham.  We will build a centre of excellence that will allow us to take scientific discoveries through into new treatments for patients with inflammatory and autoimmune joint, muscle, bowel and liver diseases.

“Chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, colitis and liver diseases are increasingly common and a major cause of suffering and early death.  In Birmingham, we have been researching the underlying processes behind these diseases for many years.  This award will enable the University and University Hospitals Birmingham to continue to develop the facilities and teams to help better understand and treat these disabling diseases.”

Through this funding, leading NHS clinicians and top universities throughout the UK  will benefit from new world class facilities and support services built by the five-year funding package – the largest ever investment into health research.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham are one of 20 NHS and University partnerships across England, who have each been awarded funding through the National Institute for Health Research, boosting growth in cities across the country.

Each of the new Biomedical Research Centres will host the development of new, ground-breaking treatments, diagnostics, prevention and care for patients in a wide range of diseases like cancer and dementia.

ENDS

For more information please contact Luke Harrison, Communications Manager for Health Sciences, on +44 (0) 121 4145134. Out of hours please call +44 (0) 7789 921165 or email [email protected]

AltaBioscience announces UKAS accreditation of new ‘hormone fingerprint’ test: application as an aid to diagnosis of adrenal cancer

A new analytical test has been launched in the UK that provides sensitive, specific and efficient predictive analysis of a rare form of cancer from a simple urine sample. The ACC steroid analysis service will be marketed by Birmingham-based AltaBioscience, which has an exclusive licence on this patented technology from the University of Birmingham.

The steroid profiling test is expected to improve diagnosis for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a highly aggressive type of cancer of the adrenal glands, which manufacture and control the level of steroid hormones in the body.

Early diagnosis is critical for people with ACC: there are few treatment options and the 5-year survival drops from 65% of those diagnosed in the early stages of disease to less than 10% of those diagnosed at the later stages¹.

The test is a significant development on the current diagnostic procedures, which rely on CT/MRI imaging or tissue biopsy – both of which are time-consuming and costly, and rely on indicators that can be ambiguous. The new test accurately quantifies up to 32 steroid hormones and metabolites in urine, delivering a ‘hormone fingerprint’ which is then compared to a comprehensive database containing profiles from patients with benign and malignant adrenal disease.

This comparison with the reference database provides a detailed picture of urinary steroid metabolites profiles as biomarkers of Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma (ACC) resulting in a report detailing probability of malignancy. This test is a non-invasive analysis supporting clinicians in ACC diagnosis and quickly signposts the need for treatment.   The database was developed by Professors Wiebke Arlt and Paul Stewart from the University’s Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, who identified a set of urinary markers which can differentiate adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) from adrenocortical adenomas (ACA).

Professor Wiebke Arlt commented: “Urine steroid analysis delivers a detailed steroid fingerprint of adrenal tumours and can help determine whether the tumour is harmless or a cancer. This test has several advantages over existing methods, as it is easy, non-invasive and radiation-free. I am delighted that this test, developed in the University’s Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, is now available in the clinical setting for the earlier and more effective diagnosis of Adrenal Cancer.”

Marion Peak, Director of Operations at Alta Bioscience commented: “Until now this test has only been available to researchers and clinical research organisations. However our urinary steroid analysis service, which includes the more specific ACC steroid testing, is now accredited to ISO 17025:2005,and we are delighted to be able to offer it more widely to clinicians who are at the frontline of patient care.”

The licence granted by the University of Birmingham allows Alta Bioscience to commercialise and market the steroid profiling test globally.