Accelerate Returns: Powering Liverpool City Region Scaleups 2nd Edition

LYVA Labs has officially launched the second intake of its Accelerate programme, designed to help Liverpool City Region companies build commercial traction through a 9-month journey.

This latest cohort brings together nine ambitious, high-growth businesses, all working towards their commercialisation goals with access to tailored expert support, guidance, and strategic insight.

Each startup in the cohort is harnessing cutting-edge innovation to drive impact across key sectors, including deep tech, health and life sciences, and clean tech for health -further strengthening the Liverpool City Region’s innovation ecosystem.

The programme is supported and funded by the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone, part of the Government’s national Investment Zone Programme.

Ike Cooke, Commercialisation Manager, reflected on the day: “This cohort reflects the strength of innovation across the Liverpool City Region. The businesses joining Accelerate are tackling important challenges across healthcare, manufacturing, AI, and clean technologies, and what excites me most is the ambition behind them. Our role is to help founders turn that innovation into commercial traction by providing support, removing roadblocks, and helping them maintain momentum”.

Sophie Johnson, Business Growth & Commercialisation Manager, said: "Founders often spend years perfecting their product, but success ultimately depends on understanding who will buy it, why they will buy it, and how they will adopt it. In healthcare, and particularly within the NHS, those answers are rarely straightforward. Accelerate exists to help companies navigate that complexity, build commercial traction, and create a clear pathway from innovation to impact."

2026 Cohort

The 2026 cohort includes nine high-growth businesses, each at a different stage of commercialisation but united by a focus on innovation, impact, and scale. worldwide.

Atomik AM

Atomik AM develops binder jetting solutions that help advanced manufacturing become practical. Combining chemistry, engineering, and materials science, it solves production challenges and supports responsible scale-up.

Haptiv8

Haptiv8 is developing a smart insole that uses gamified sensory feedback to encourage heel contact and build awareness of heel-down gait patterns.

Myma Medical

Myma Medical is advancing assisted reproduction through autoICSI, which uses AI for gamete selection and automates key parts of pickup and micro-manipulation. It keeps embryologists in control while reducing repetitive tasks and fatigue.

Ocuwell

OCUWELL Ltd is a University of Liverpool spin-out developing eye-care technology. Its corneal topography system will help expand access to high-quality eye diagnostics worldwide.

Plasma Fresh

Plasma Fresh develops cold plasma disinfection for sensitive materials, offering an effective and practical approach to sterilisation.

RenewVax

ReNewVax is a next-generation vaccine company developing the first universal vaccine designed to target all variants of S. pneumoniae, or pneumococcal bacteria.

SenseAI

SenseAI is improving nanoscale imaging by tackling the speed and sample damage issues linked to high-resolution electron microscopy. Its technology could support semiconductors, life sciences, and advanced materials.

Spotlight Pathology

Spotlight Pathology develops AI-powered decision support tools to improve blood cancer diagnosis, helping clinicians analyse cases faster and more effectively.

Vizbox

Vizbox is a VR company which specialises in co-producing and developing immersive health technologies with a focus on neuro rehabilitation, specifically, stroke.

Programme Launch & Workshop

The programme launch marked the cohort’s next chapter, combining introductions, strategic context, and practical workshops to set a clear direction for the months ahead.

The programme began on 2 June at Pembroke House in Liverpool with an energetic introductory session. LYVA Labs opened with an overview of the programme’s activity and support; positioning Accelerate as a response to the commercialisation gap and showing how it helps innovation-led businesses overcome early adoption barriers and build scalable market traction.

The session mapped a staged commercialisation journey through recognised innovation ’chasms’, focusing on the shift from technical capability to viable business models, charter customers, distribution strategies, and mainstream adoption. It also introduced the Triple Chasm diagnostic framework for assessing progress across market opportunity, value proposition, customer definition, funding, business model, and strategic positioning.

In Conversation with Medcotec

It was great to hear from Medcotec at the launch, specialists in precision engineering devices for the medical and pharmaceutical sector.

The relationship first began when Joe Cooke, LYVA Labs Client Delivery Manager, met Medcotec CEO Emerson Mulvaney and investor Mike Taitt at a Sciontec Daresbury business breakfast. Mike brought a commercial background, while Emerson brought engineering design expertise and together, they built Medcotec.

Following a £125,000 investment from LYVA Labs, Medcotec joined the first Accelerate cohort at LYVA Labs, where it received marketing support to support their commercialisation and growth journey. This is a strong example of how targeted support can help innovation-led companies sharpen their commercial focus, build momentum, and move closer to market traction. LYVA Labs can draw from its external Consultant Panel to help clients access practical advice and support in targeted areas such as market access, regulatory strategy, and supply chain readiness.

We also heard from Kelly Morton, Founder of The Fractionals®, a platform we’ll be working closely with to give our founders further opportunity to access to on-demand expertise. Through a trusted network of seasoned C-suite executives, The Fractionals® connects businesses with the right support at key stages of their journey, providing the right talent, experience and guidance exactly when it’s needed. As Kelly noted, “Talent is universal. Opportunity isn’t.”

As we begin working with the second Accelerate cohort, the programme continues to play an important role in helping Liverpool City Region innovators turn strong ideas into scalable businesses. With tailored support, expert insight, and a growing network around them. These ambitious companies are well placed to build momentum over the year ahead.