2000/01, £50k Winner
Anginomics
Angiomics is a start-up biopharmaceutical company with the mission of discovering drugs from medicinal plants. The focus will be on accelerating wound healing. At present, the $5 billion global wound care market consists mainly of products that, at best, only create environments conducive to healing. The future of the wound care market lies in the promise of products that go beyond facilitative wound repair and actively accelerate the healing process. Angiomics already possesses a patent-protected technology that accelerates a key step in wound healing. Founded by three PhD students at the Unversity of Coventry, Angiomics is determined to stay in the lead by employing cutting-edge technologies in the drug discivery process.
Future Vision
Future Vision will help companies protect themselves against weather-related risks using weather derivatives. The weather derivatives market is an $8 billion market it has shown explosive growth over the last three years, especially in the US. Next year it is expected to double this growth in Europe. Future Vision will meet its clients' requirements for weather risk management by delivering advanced software solutions and by providing value-added professional services. Given the constantly changing environment, Future Vision will continue looking after its clients' needs by developing new products.
Splashpower
Imagine a world with wireless power! Zap Wireless Technologies is developing a range of products (ZapPad, ZapCell, ZapDevices, ZapSystems) to replace disposable batteries and power cables in mobile phones, laptops and a range of other consumer and industrial applications. No disposable batteries, no wires, just ZAP! Founded by a team of three with outstanding expertise in wireless technologies, business and product innovation, Zap Wireless Technologies has built a prototype and is seeking first-round funding to support further R&D activities.
Tritech
Tritech will leverage productivity from average users to business users by seamlessly integrating mobile communications with the computing world. This is done by providing a Platform for Ubiquitous Mobile Applications (PUMA) to support customised applications tailored towards different devices ranging from embeded devices to sophisticated devices supporting connectivity.
Weather Informatics
Weather Informatics provides bespoke forecast products, based on our proprietary WRIST package to enable weather-sensitive business to greatly improve their management of weather-related risks. Some 70% of all businesses, and as much as $1000bn of the US economy alone, are significantly exposed to take such risks. New financial products, 'weather derivatives', can be used by exposed bsuinesses to manage their risks. Over 4000 weather derivative contracts have been taken out thus far, with over $10bn in notional risk transferred. The customer-specific products taken out by Weather Informatics will give forecasts for use in the pricing of weather derivatives and will offer significant competitive advantage to our customers.