Dotforge
Health + Data

Dotforge Health + Data is powering innovative startups, creating data driven solutions to offer patients, clinicians, GPs and health workers time saving applications.

The program offers companies £15,000 - £20,000 of investment on a convertible loan note and 3 months support, mentoring and office space in the heart of Leeds.

Applications are now open, the program will start in February 2016.

We have partnered with key health platform providers to help startups and early stage companies build the relationships they need to succeed in offering health based solutions. The program is funded by EMIS Health, Mercia Fund, the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network, Tech North and Creative England. Through these partnerships you will have access to clinicians and industry expertise to help develop and tailor your solution for this challenging market place.

We are looking for companies with solid domain experience and technology skills looking to solve an issue using a data led solution in one of the following areas:

Self monitoring

This may be supporting individuals with long term conditions, to facilitate adoption of healthier lifestyles and general well being or tracking issues brought on by aging.

Early stage screening or diagnostics tools

We are looking for innovative, low cost, time effective solutions which leverage data, providing context and analysis for both patients and health professionals.

Remote monitoring

Supporting individuals to live high quality, longer lives in their homes is one of the key agendas for the health sector. How can data driven technology help carers, friends, family and health professionals support individuals to live their lives and remain safe, fit and well?

Medicines adherence and management

As we know it is difficult to form new habits. Taking medicines incorrectly or inconsistently, or even not at all, is one of the main reasons why medical treatments can fail. Addressing this issue can help save money, time and most importantly improve individual health and wellbeing.


Introducing the sponsoring partners for Dotforge Health + Data

EMIS Health

EMIS Health provides software and services to clinicians working across every major UK healthcare setting, including: Primary Care; Community Children’s and Mental Health Care; Secondary Care; Community Pharmacy; Specialist Care. Its systems hold 40 million cradle to grave GP patient records and 30 million patient records within accident and emergency hospital departments.

To drive innovation, the company operates a successful partner programme that enables customers to benefit from quality add-on third party products to complement and enhance the core functionality of its own products.

Under the Dotforge accelerator programme, EMIS Health staff will support and mentor the companies involved – including work to integrate relevant solutions with its own systems.

Mercia Fund Management

Mercia Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary  of Mercia Technologies PLC, is a leading investor in UK technology; specialising in the commercialisation of businesses with high growth potential across a range of technology driven sectors in which deep expertise is held.

Mercia can provide early stage, development and growth capital to enable investment in a wide range of opportunities whilst being strategically positioned to allocate follow-on capital to stars in the portfolio.

As sector specialists, Mercia’s value is not only in the pre-investment discovery, analysis and selection of high growth opportunities, but critically in the support of those companies post-investment. Investment directors have been directly involved in the financing, building and management of companies in their respective sectors, and work extensively with the executive management team of each investee company in order to drive value creation, control risk and deliver profitable exits.

Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (YHAHSN)

The Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (YHAHSN) is one of 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) in England – established during 2013/14 by NHS England through the Government’s Innovation, Health and Wealth strategy.

The YHAHSN offers a clear route to the NHS for industry to create a more conducive environment for industries to work effectively with the NHS and other parts of the UK healthcare sector.

Creative England

Creative England invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses in film, TV, games and digital media. We aim to grow the brightest, the best, and those with the most promise so that individuals and businesses can achieve their full creative and commercial potential. We help identify future opportunities to grow the economy and generate jobs.

Creative England will be re-launching their Interactive Healthcare investment program later in 2015, which seeks to support industry crossover and creative collaboration for the benefit of the health sector.

Tech North

Tech North’s focus is to attract and develop talent, entrepreneurship and investment across the digital clusters of Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland, and all the points in-between. Tech North stakeholders include startups, scaleups, corporates, community leaders, investors, government, service providers, universities and educators – all with a vested interest in creating a flourishing ecosystem.

Tech North is informed by the learnings and successes from Tech City UK over the past five years and will draw on this experience to deliver a world-class initiative. Tech North receives £2m in funding this year from Innovate UK, a budget allocated by the Department of Culture, Media & Sport.