Meet Four New Catalyst Companies

Profiling four of the companies that have joined Southampton Science Park’s Catalyst business accelerator programme.

• Aurora Medical has formulated a revolutionary medical implant technology to benefit more than 600 million people worldwide who suffer from osteoarthritis.

APRICOT (Anatomically Precise Revolutionary Implant for bone Conserving Osteoarthritis Treatment) offers a fast and cost-effective solution for healthcare providers treating osteoarthritis. The extremely thin self-lubricating implant can restore natural joint movement in a minimally invasive operation under local anaesthetic and without the need for extensive post-operative care. This could reduce the current care pathway cost and timescale by up to 80%.

Founders Dr Andrew Taylor and Nicola Taylor say they are optimistic and excited after being accepted onto the Catalyst programme, which, they hope will help them to develop a sound business plan to secure funding to move to clinical trials.

• mytender.io is working to revolutionise outdated tendering processes across the construction and facilities management sectors.

Using AI driven software, the technology will enable nearly 900,000 SMEs to respond to tenders in 75% less time and win a greater share of contract opportunities, which are valued at £30 billion each year.

Jamie Horsnell, Samuel Aaron, Joshua Aaron and Nicolas Dickreuter founded the University of Southampton spin-out. While working through the proven Catalyst process - an opportunity they describe as ‘extremely exciting!’ - they hope to solve challenges around building intellectual property, customer adoption and scaling.

• Hummingbird Insurance Services is addressing the problem of inefficient data management and high operational risks faced by fleet operators.

By providing unique insights and actionable recommendations, the technology will solve the challenges of analysing and managing vast amounts of data to identify risks, improve driver safety, reduce claim frequency, improve loss ratios and ultimately lead to better insurance pricing and increased profitability.

Founders Ben Peters and Steven Zwinkels said, “When we found out we had got into Catalyst, we were thrilled. It's a huge validation of the effort we've put in so far. At the same time, we know this is just the beginning and there's a lot of hard work ahead. We're grateful for the opportunity and excited to dive into everything Catalyst has to offer. This is a big step for us, and we're ready to make the most of it and push our business to the next level.”

• id3as-company is developing a suite of products to significantly reduce the time and cost of creating live media broadcasts.

Its Norsk suite of products empower anyone who needs a robust live streaming platform - broadcasters, sports leagues, large enterprises – to create custom, dynamic live video streaming faster and more efficiently than ever before, enabling its users to focus on creativity and innovation.

Founders Adrian Roe, Steve Strong and Dom Robinson said, “We’re excited to be on this programme and are looking forward to fresh insight and challenge as well as access to the collective experience of the mentoring team to help us create long-term strategies. We are also very much looking forward to working alongside the other Catalyst companies to share experiences and add value to each other’s situations.”