Plymouth Science Park (PSP) hosted the Innovation Starts Here: Health Tech Funding Summit on Thursday 2 October, a landmark event that brought together NHS leaders, health tech founders, investors, academics, and national funders to accelerate innovation in healthcare.
The Summit, the first major health tech event in the region, marked the official launch of the Innovation Starts Here: Health Tech Funding Playbook, a comprehensive industry guide to support early-stage health tech businesses in navigating the complex world of funding. The Summit was delivered with the support of Headline Partner, British Business Bank.
Developed by PSP in collaboration with Tech South West, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth City Council, and the University of Plymouth, the Playbook offers real-world insights from experts in innovation and investment including Barclays Eagle Labs, British Business Bank, DSW Ventures, Equity South West, FSE Group, Health Innovation South West, Innovate UK, NIHR (National Institute for Health & Care Research), RWK Goodman LLP, Sentinel Healthcare SW CI, SETsquared Partnership and Spencer West.
Dave Hockton, CEO of Plymouth Science Park, said: “Our inaugural Health Tech Funding Summit builds on the world-class health tech innovation happening in Plymouth and across the wider region. We’re proud to be building a health tech cluster that brings together leading research development, cutting-edge innovation, and industry collaboration. The Health Tech Funding Playbook is set to be a vital tool for founders across the UK, and we’re thrilled to have launched it here, in the heart of our growing health tech ecosystem.”
The Summit featured keynotes, panels and workshops with national industry leaders including Dan Pritchard, Co-founder of Tech South West; Rich Adams, Head of Partnerships & Commercialisation at the University of Plymouth; Andrew Potter, CEO and Founder of Evidentime; innovation consultant and visiting professor Sam Medhat; and Professor Sabina Leonelli, University of Exeter. PSP-based innovators Ultramed and Lightfoot Health also shared their founder journeys and case studies.
Attendees also had the chance to tour PSP’s specialist R&D facilities and meet companies already driving breakthrough innovation on-site.
Mark Hamilton, Joint Chief Medical Officer of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: “We’re delighted to support the South West’s first major health tech event. Partnerships between the NHS, academia, and the private sector are essential to co-create technologies that truly meet clinical needs. Events like this, and the collaborative work behind the Playbook, highlight what’s possible when we align around a shared mission to improve health outcomes.”
PSP offers startups and scale-ups unique proximity to research institutions, clinical partners, and critical funding pathways.
Download the Innovation Starts Here: Health Tech Funding Playbook here: https://www.plymouthsciencepark.com/innovation-starts-here-playbook/
