LYVA Labs makes largest investment into innovation businesses, in one month

Photo shows LYVA Labs' investment team

LYVA Labs has made its greatest-ever number of investments in a month, funding inspirational innovators to a total of £305K.

The businesses invested in include health tech businesses Vizbox, BBL Protect and Good Vibrations Only and deep tech businesses Birl, Cubode, Barro, Gigmate and UAP, Atmosphere Engineering. LYVA Labs can invest up to £250K into businesses that use innovation to answer real-world challenges.

Akshay Bhatnagar, LYVA Labs’ Head of Investment, said: “LYVA Labs’ investment team has been busy this month! Congratulations to all the entrepreneurial businesses we have invested in, all of whom create products and services that harness innovation to solve important challenges whilst stimulating the local economy.”

LYVA Labs was established with £11m from Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority, to drive innovation and economic growth by turning great ideas into high-growth businesses and creating partnerships to attract investment.

More about the investment companies:

Vizbox is a Birkenhead-based business that co-produces immersive health technologies and developed SKYLA VR, a virtual reality tool that gamifies rehabilitation for stroke patients, making the process more engaging.

The technology incorporates artificial and virtual reality technologies, co-produced by stroke survivors and stroke rehabilitation experts. The tool supports the rehabilitation of gross and fine motor skills whilst improving balance, cognitive, and well-being following a stroke. SKYLA VR was tested in a participation trial at University of Liverpool, which found the technology provided a more flexible, intense, personalised stroke rehabilitation experience. With 100,000 people suffering a stroke each year this technology has an important role to play in rehabilitation.

Carl, from Viz Box, said: “We are pleased with this investment from LYVA Labs as it helps us to commercialise our SKYLA VR product. The funding supports our plans to create an automated content management system for collecting VR headset data, an AI algorithm for safer storage and use of patient and professional data, and a clinical trial to help us gain medical device accreditation.”

BBL Protect created the AeroPod, an innovation-driven Personal Isolation Device (PID) for the transportation and transfer of patients who may be contaminated or infectious. It is designed to fit with the UK’s planning and preparedness response, to ensure the safer transfer of patients and the safety of healthcare staff and others. It also offers a solution for transporting immunocompromised patients into hospitals for treatment.

Russell Clifton, BBL Protect’s Founder and CEO, and the creator of AeroPod, said: “There is a heightened awareness and need, following the pandemic, to offer greater protection to healthcare workers, particularly in pre-hospital care, when transporting infectious or contaminated patients. This investment will support AeroPod to set up manufacturing facilities to fulfil orders in the medevac and healthcare sectors; we also aim to create jobs in the region.”

Good Vibrations Only, is a Liverpool City Region business that has developed a vibrating insole with sensory feedback to support children with autism that tiptoe walk. Nicki Allen, a paediatric physiotherapist, evaluated the prototype with children and parents at the school at which she works, which specialises in teaching children with autism.

Nicki, who is also Good Vibrations’ Founder, said: “Our initial testing of the product with children with autism who tiptoe walk showed reliably good results. We are excited by this investment, which allows us to collect the data we need to support the adoption of our product, promote Good Vibrations at conferences, and develop a full ‘go to market’ plan for the year ahead.”

Around 700,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with autism. One in five children with autism tiptoe walk. Idiopathic tip-toe walking (ITW) has no cause and is common in young children without autism, many of whom grow out of the behaviour. This product will support children with autism, who often need treatment to avoid future physiological issues.