Successful digital health accelerator programme returns for second year

Following on from the success of the 2019 programme, Propel@YH an accelerator programme aimed at helping digital health innovators navigate the NHS in the Yorkshire and Humber region, is returning for 2020.

Propel@YH provides support and advice to SMEs focused on digital health, with the aim of accelerating growth and increasing market presence.

Applications for the programme open on 11th February and will close on 12th March. The programme is open to SMEs that can demonstrate innovative digital health solutions and either have an existing presence in the Yorkshire and Humber region or are willing to establish one. Programme content will be tailored to individual members to enable global organisations to bring innovative digital health and patient solutions to the region’s population and wider health economy.

The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN (Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network) will run the six-month programme with mHabitat delivering the majority of the masterclass content. This year also sees the University of Leeds’ innovation hub, Nexus, support the programme as community partners. Barclays Eagle Labs will also join to provide business support through their national incubator network and leading health law firm Hill Dickinson return as legal partners. Leeds City Council is also supporting the programme. The new partners significantly bolster the Propel@YH programme, bringing greater benefits to digital health innovators selected to take part.

The 2019 cohort reported several positive outcomes from the programme. Among these were raising significant investment, creating jobs, numerous research collaborations, and the creation of several new digital services. Members also attributed creating new opportunities to benefit patients and increased potential patient reach to Propel@YH 2019, with significant savings to the NHS.

The 2020 programme has space for 10 start-up digital health innovators. Competition is set to be very high this year, with extra benefits for SMEs on the programme being highly coveted and invaluable, including access to expert partners such as NHS providers, commissioners and academic institutions, and more.

Neville Young, Director of Enterprise and Innovation for the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “This is the second time we’ve been able to offer this great opportunity for innovative digital and data-driven health companies to access a raft of support specifically tailored to their needs and equip them with the knowledge and contacts to drive their businesses forward. Key to the success of this program is the great digital assets we have in the Yorkshire and Humber region in terms of infrastructure, skills and data itself.
“Digital health technology and data-driven health solutions are extremely important and growing business sectors, but SMEs often face a number of challenges and barriers that restrict their growth.

“By providing support through Propel@YH, we not only enable citizens to have quicker access to innovative products that help to improve healthcare in the region, but we also bring economic growth and jobs into the Yorkshire and Humber region.”
Previous cohort member Barry Singleton, Chief Relationship Officer at Scaled Insights commented:  “As a newcomer to the health care system with no clinical experience, I found the whole program to be invaluable. The masterclasses were incredibly informative and gave me a greater understanding of how the system works.

“For any start-up or scale-up company seeking to better understand how to navigate the NHS, to understand its complexity and the amount of evidence that is required in order to work towards  gaining adoption of new technology, Propel YH will deliver everything you need and more.”

SMEs in the digital health sphere may apply for a place on Propel@YH via www.propel-yh.com until applications close on 12th March.