NEWS15 June 2021
An ecosystem of support sprang into action as the pandemic unfolded. With over 17 years’ experience accelerating tech start-ups, SETsquared Surrey, the incubator that has been situated on Surrey Research Park since its inception in 2002, acted quickly and decisively to communicate support initiatives to members.
The Innovation Strategy Team at the University of Surrey launched COVID-19 grants and equity investment schemes to develop new innovations and to continue R&D activities. Funds were secured by 25 SETsquared Surrey members who received a share of nearly £50,000 to develop initiatives to combat
COVID-19.
There was also a high success rate for SETsquared Surrey companies receiving COVID-19 UKRI Innovation Grants. Launched in April 2018, UKRI is a public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions, and the UK’s innovation agency – Innovate UK.
An impressive 12 SETsquared Surrey companies received UKRI COVID-19 grants totalling over £550k.
BetterTrack received £49,920 for a project to develop and provide a social care tracker that can be used to better report performance to commissioners and NHS stakeholders.
Combine.ai received four Innovate UK grants totalling £594,560 to improve the productivity of virtual meetings with an advanced automated assistant.
Accelogress secured a grant of £49,882 to address the urgent need for transport operators to be able to efficiently implement social distancing on tram and rail services and to optimally manage demand, access and transport capacity at peak times.
Hand in Paw received a grant of £37,927 to enhance pet wellness with a telehealth platform and bespoke digital online pet care during the pandemic.
Mafic received £49,980 to develop a technological solution to effectively manage social distancing on construction sites.
Sammi-Select secured £46,336 to develop a quality-assured online selection for securing future health professionals to meet the demand generated by the pandemic.
SETsquared Surrey supports early stage high-growth science and tech ventures from local communities, whilst also providing links to University of Surrey experts and facilities to further success.