Scanners to prevent amputations and deaths and a knitting app for the tech generation are among the ideas from five pioneering women who have received government funding from Innovate UK.
The five are among 50 winners of of this year's Women in Innovation Awards who will each receive a £50,000 grant and one-to-one business coaching. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the awards are part of Innovate UK’s commitment to boosting the number of female entrepreneurs.
Divia Bhatnagar from Edinburgh is the co-founder of Medical Intelligence Group, which has developed a 3D foot scanner to prevent and monitor life-threatening diabetic foot ulcers from the comfort of a patient’s home.
“Too many lives are being lost to diabetic foot ulcers, particularly in black, indigenous and people of colour communities," Ms Bhatnagar said. "With our remote patient monitoring tool using 3D technology and AI, patients will have access to the gold standard of care they need, when they need it, regardless of their location or resources."
The other Scottish winners include:
Iris Quasar Grunwald from Newport-on-Tay is co-founder of Nvention, which has designed a novel flow sensor device for a range of applications in the domestic, medical, agricultural, and aquatic sectors. The sensor regulates and measures the flow of liquid and gases in pipes and tubes, detecting leaks, blockages and contamination.
Monika Tomecka from Falkirk is a biomedical scientist and founder of UFraction8, which wants to help produce food in a more sustainable and affordable way through cellular agriculture - producing meat products through protein cells, rather than animals.
Lucy Fisher from Aberdeen is the founder of Knit It, which aims to inspire a new digital-savvy generation of knitters through an innovative Knit It platform. The smart interactive tool allows knitters to choose how they’ll follow a pattern, learn new skills and push the boundaries of their craft.
Tiffany Wood from Edinburgh has developed a technological device called Dyneval for vets and clinicians to accurately evaluate the semen quality of male livestock in dairy farms by measuring sperm motility. The average dairy farmer loses £37,000 each year to poor conception rates which have fallen by 20 per cent over 40 years.
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