News & events

PwC and BizzInn are launching SCALE: Midlands, a 12 week programme for start-ups that are ready to scale.

SCALE: Midlands will bridge the gap between the corporate and start-up ecosystem, offering an unparalleled mix of executive education, lead generation and sales opportunities, expert masterclasses, and connection to large corporates that are often out of reach for start-up companies.

The programme includes:
• Weekly masterclasses from PwC experts covering topics such as alliance partnerships, R&D tax credits, access to finance and tax-efficient investment schemes, management incentives, deals and IPO readiness
• A private event to connect with senior executives from corporates that are seeking collaboration with agile, scaling companies
• Coaching to help you deliver the perfect investor pitch
• An investment parlour, where companies are matched to VCs and investors who are actively looking for sector-specific investment opportunities
• A pitching event that where companies can showcase to 150 investors, mentors, sponsors, and senior PwC partners.

SCALE: Midlands is open to companies that are:
• Selling innovative products and services that have the potential to significantly disrupt how business customers operate
• Generating revenue or have previously raised seed capital
• Passionate about scaling their business.

Applications are now open for the programme, which starts in October. Interested parties should go to www.pwc.co.uk/scaleprogrammes

Friday, 8 September 2017: A delegation of Indian biotech company leaders visited the University of Birmingham yesterday to see the life sciences cluster, where the University’s world-leading research is translated into new medical therapies.
The delegation travelled to Birmingham as part of bioConclave 2017 – an annual gathering of Indian life science business leaders, who come to the UK to explore investment and partnership opportunities.
Birmingham’s life science ecosystem combines basic research and translational facilities in a single site, and is rapidly becoming a major site for health research investment.
The visitors were welcomed by Indian Consul General Dr Aman Puri, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, and Dr James Wilkie, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise, which runs business incubation and commercialisation services for the University.
They toured the University’s Institute of Translational Medicine, the biobank, the gene and cell therapy manufacturing facility, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the School of Dentistry and the BioHub and BizzInn incubation facilities.
Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), said: “Birmingham is one of the UK’s most important sites for life sciences – characterised by strong partnerships that link academic excellence with innovation in addressing the health care requirements of a diverse regional population of five million people.
“The University’s engagement in India is extensive, dating back to 1909 when we welcomed our first students from India to our Edgbaston campus. For both these reasons, we are very pleased to be hosting this delegation visit as part of bioConclave 2017.”
Dr James Wilkie said: “Birmingham has a long established ecosystem that accelerates innovations in medicine. Our clinical-academic partnerships support all stages of the journey from bench studies to clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance studies.
“Our resources, such as the Birmingham BioHub, the UK’s first dedicated shared facility for early stage life science companies, are co-located in close proximity to the University of Birmingham and two of the largest Hospitals in the country – this speeds up the translation of research, enables more rapid assessment, and quicker adoption of medical technologies.”
This year’s bioConclave saw the main one-day conference programme held in London, before delegates travelled to Birmingham to learn more about the University’s research and incubation facilities and opportunities in the city.
Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India, said: “I am delighted to attend bioConclave 2017. Collectively, we should explore opportunities for greater collaboration between British institutes of excellence such as Birmingham BioHub and India’s Genome Valley, where six out of 10 world leaders in biotech R&D already have a presence.
“Britain is a global innovation hub, and must increase its footprint in India – an economy which is the fastest growing large economy of the world. The pharma market is projected to grow to US$ 55 billion by 2020 making it the sixth largest market in the world and the biotechnology market is likely to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2025.
India remains one of the largest foreign investors into the UK, with biotech, pharma and life sciences investments creating or safeguarding 7,049 jobs in the UK, according to the latest figures from the Department for International Trade.

The Engineers Trust has announced the winner of its 2017 Hawley Award for Engineering Innovation that benefits the Environment. Dr. Amrit Chandan has been awarded the £5,000 cash prize for the work undertaken in ACELERON on Project NuCYCLE.
Amrit’s work hopes to solve the problem of energy storage in developing countries through recycling used lithium ion batteries found in electric cars and laptops, enabling them to be reused. In countries where energy storage is problematic, power is mainly generated from oil or solar panels, but appliances are often run using lead acid batteries that are inefficient and expensive to import. As well as providing a reliable source of power for schools and hospitals, reusing lithium ion batteries will also benefit the environment. Currently, these batteries are not widely recycled and are classed as hazardous materials, meaning companies often store used batteries because they have no safe way to dispose of them. Proof of concept was achieved earlier this year in a trial with over 1,000 recycled batteries.
Amrit was inspired to start his business ACELERON with Co-Founder Carlton Cummins whilst working from the University of Birmingham’s Bizzinn incubation space, being mentored by Dr. James Wilkie, Director of Enterprise & Innovation at the University of Birmingham and taking advantage of the mentoring other business support on offer. ACELERON’s work will be wide ranging – the company is already supplying an e-bike manufacturing company with batteries for their e-bikes, which are currently being ridden by end-users in London.
From a shortlist of innovative submissions for this year’s award, the panel of experienced senior engineer Liverymen were impressed by Amrit’s innovation and his work’s potential for significant environmental impact. He was presented with his award at the Worshipful Company of Engineers’ Annual Awards Dinner by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, held at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, on 18 July 2017.
Amrit said: “The potential impact this could have on the world is really big. That’s what excites me about this idea – I want to make a positive change to the planet and to people’s lives. I am delighted that my work has been recognised by such a prestigious engineering institution.”
David Cooper, Co-ordinator of the Hawley Award for the Engineers Trust (the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Engineers), said “we were particularly impressed by the positive potential that this product has towards the environment as well as community with its ability in remote and third world environments. We were also impressed with the outcome of the concept testing.”
Dr James Wilkie, Director of Enterprise & Innovation at the University of Birmingham said: “Amrit is one of the outstanding entrepreneurs who have emerged from the University of Birmingham recently. Like many serial innovators, he engaged at an early stage with entrepreneurship training, and also made the most of the mentoring available at the University and our business incubator. We are grateful to the Hawley Award, the Engineers Livery Company and the Engineers Trust for making this award.”
The campaign to find the 2018 Hawley Award winner will launch in September 2017.

Birmingham entrepreneurs Abdullah Sabyah and Floriane Rousse-Marquet are launching a remote heart health screening service through their company Rightangled Diagnostics.

The unique screening service provided by Rightangled was developed and tested at the BioHub Birmingham®, the University of Birmingham’s bioincubator facility for high growth life science start-up companies.

It is the first product to emerge from the innovation incubator, which was opened at the Birmingham Research Park in 2015. The University set up the facility as a launch-pad for entrepreneurs to make their project in the sciences real.

Rightangled’s Heart DNA screening service aims to remove the constraints around accessing qualified specialists by linking patients, heart specialists and genetic screening in a remote, online service.

A report is provided by the cardiologist who reviews the results of the screen together with a questionnaire asking about lifestyle and family history – which is often the spur for concern about heart health.

This report is not intended to replace a personal consultation with a doctor, and people whose screen shows up areas of concern are advised to take the report to their own doctor, where the report could be used to inform decisions on treatment and lifestyle changes.

Abdullah Sabyah, who founded the company with Floriane Rousse-Marquet, said: “Often people know that there is a family history of heart problems, and this drives a very real concern about unidentified hereditary risk factors, which play a large part in determining your heart health. It is important to realise that these measures, if taken in advance, can reduce these risks in most cases to near-normal.”

The service delivers a personalised report based on a cardiologist’s assessment of a lifestyle questionnaire and a screen of 96 genetic markers which can help uncover how an individual’s DNA is impacting heart health and how their genetics may alter their body’s response to certain diets, nutrients and medications.

Ends

For further editorial information, or an interview, contact:
Ruth Ashton, [email protected], tel: 0121 414 9090

Notes for editors
How the test was developed
The two entrepreneurs worked with the incubator services provided by the University of Birmingham. They did six months of early research at the BioHub Birmingham®, a bioincubator facility at the Birmingham Research Park, and also used the business incubation services at the BizzInn, which provides business coaching for young enterprises.

The services provided at the BioHub, and the assistance provided by the BizzInn, enabled the pair to developed their original concept to one that would link together genetic screening, lifestyle advice and a remote consultation with a medical specialist.

How the Heart DNA screening service works
• A kit is ordered online, and delivered by post.
• The recipient then registers online, fills in a family history and lifestyle questionnaire, and posts a sample of saliva in the sample tube provided in the kit.
• The sample is analysed in a laboratory where DNA is extracted to generate the unique cardiac genetic profile.
• The genetic profile and the lifestyle questionnaire are assessed by the cardiologist, who provides a written report highlighting any areas of concern.
• The report is made available in a secure online portal. It can be downloaded, or printed out for the individual to take with them to their next doctor’s appointment.

The screening kit can be ordered online at www.heartdnatest.com.

About the BioHub Birmingham®
The BioHub Birmingham® was opened in 2015 to provide bioincubator space for young life science companies. It is based in the Birmingham Research Park. Residents at the BioHub Birmingham can also use the coaching available at the BizzInn, which provides tailored business support for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

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.

Dr Claire Miller has joined the BioHub as Deputy Laboratory Manager after working for over 10 years in research laboratories.

After gaining a PhD in bacterial genetics from the University of Leicester, Claire went on to work as the principle researcher for translational projects requiring technical expertise in molecular genetics and microbiology both in Leicester and at the University of Birmingham.

Claire has experience of working with companies of all sizes, most recently as work package lead for major collaborative ventures with GlaxoSmithKline. She brings extensive experience of laboratory and personnel management and is keen to support our tenants as they accelerate their ideas into successful businesses.