SETsquared start-ups shine at annual investment showcase

Bristol-based start-ups Airway Medical, Emmtech, Neuronostics, Gloucestershire-based LatchAid, and Oxford-based MitoRx Therapeutics, have been named among the very best of the UK's tech pioneers by business incubator SETsquared.

Now in its 18th year, SETsquared’s annual investment showcase, INVEST 2021, showcased the very best of the UK’s tech pioneers to an engaged audience of investors.

Sixteen SETsquared-backed ventures took the mic and pitched for the investment needed to take their start-ups to the next level of growth. They included:

Airway Medical Ltd Airway Medical is developing the AMSU, a completely novel, portable suction device to help save the lives of patients suffering from a blocked airway.

Emm Technology Ltd Emm is a smart, reusable menstrual product that takes back menstrual management from women, leaving them unencumbered by their monthly cycle. Guaranteeing a reliable, comfortable experience with a custom-fit design, the smart monitoring system communicates the product capacity to the user’s phone, creating a seamless menstrual management system.

Neuronostics Ltd Neuronostics develops clinical decision support tools and at home monitoring devices for people with suspected neurological conditions, to improve patient’s quality of life and facilitate efficient healthcare provision.

LatchAid LatchAid is a Gloucestershire based femtech company using innovative technology to revolutionise breastfeeding.

MitoRx Therapeutics Limited A pre-clinical stage, rare disease biotech company which has developed next-generation mitochondrial protective therapeutics targeting rare neuromuscular disorders and rare metabolic disease.

“It’s amazing that after 18 years of running this event, the quality of the pitching companies never dips," said SETsquared director Simon Bond.

This year’s line-up once again showcased the high-quality breadth and depth of start-ups being developed across the SETsquared Partnership, many of which are developing solutions that will be at the heart of Covid recovery.

"We know that it takes an ecosystem to grow a start-up, so we’re therefore thrilled to have such an engaged investor community that are not only highly active in terms of investing but also willing to support our members through mentoring and introductions.”

The final line-up was chosen from SETsquared’s 550 members following a competitive selection process, and all received mentoring and support in the run-up to the event to develop their investment pitch.

Jenny Button, founder of Bristol-based Emm Technology, one of the pitching companies which is developing a smart menstrual product, said: “I founded Emm Technology because I felt strongly that the menstrual products should be more than an underperforming hygiene solution.

"We’re currently raising £300,000 seed investment to develop an electronic prototype, conduct user trails and create a waitlist.

"My experience of pitching at SETsquared INVEST 2021 couldn’t have been better, the support from the team in the lead-up to the event was so comprehensive, they enabled me to give the best investment pitch possible.

"I’ve already had multiple follow-ups from investors post-event, SETsquared is an excellent platform to facilitate introductions.”

Dr Jo Slota-Newson, principal at IQ Capital said: "SETsquared has gained critical mass of innovators and those who support them, to become the core of one of the most lively enterprise ecosystems outside London.

"INVEST 2021 demonstrated an enormous breadth of tech and deeptech innovation within that community – with a very high standard for clarity of the presentations.”

All current investment opportunities from across the SETsquared portfolio, can be found on the online Investment Platform: https://setsquared.envestry.com

SETsquared is the global no. 1 business incubator and enterprise partnership of the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. Through specialist business support and innovation programmes, SETsquared helps companies grow and raise public funding and private investment.