Bristol-based Airway Medical Ltd today announced that they have been awarded a 9-month £260,000 funded project; in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, via The Sustainable Innovation Fund from UK Government funding agency Innovate UK.
Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £191 million to fund both single and collaborative research and development projects via the Sustainable Innovation Fund over the next two years. The aim of these competitions is to help all sectors of the UK rebuild after the effects of COVID-19.
Currently, the Sustainable Innovation Fund is funding 1,103 projects, 1069 UK businesses and totalling over £130 million in support across the UK.
Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a physical and mental health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy as a whole. Airway Medical Ltd. along with every other initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realize the ambitions of hard-working people.”
Airway Medical Ltd produces novel Suction & Oxygen Therapy equipment for clearing blocked airways in emergency and chronic conditions. They are recognized as an outstanding early-stage innovation company and the Airway Medical Suction Unit (AMSU™) is currently international patent pending.
Ken Garner CEO of Airway Medical said: “Winning this funding from Innovate UK illustrates the importance of the uniquely collaborative environment we have in and around Bristol and the South West. The business support ecosystem is second to none enabling us to accelerate the rate at which we can grow, bring our product to market, reduce risk and raise awareness of both us and our products.”
Brian Prescott, Centre Director at SETsquared Bath who provided grant-writing advice from Kate Fryer, a specialist working with the ERDF-funded Advanced Engineering Business Acceleration Hub, said: “Airway Medical’s success in accessing Innovate UK support for their highly novel product is testament to the best of teamwork across the local tech ecosystem and a great example of partnership support in bringing through ambitious start-ups. We warmly applaud Simon and Ken’s efforts so far in realizing the potential of this exciting idea”.
Shona Wright
Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to.
She also oversees TechSPARK's social media, sharing the latest updates on everything from investment news to green tech meetups and inspirational stories.
