Presented by undergraduate student Mikka Alon (KC 2017), Perfexia Health have developed DocMe®, an API technology which can measure, monitor and help manage chronic conditions (such as hypertension) from a 15-second selfie. The technology, which makes use of computer vision and convolution neural networks, has been designed to enable remote consultations for patients without access to wearable devices – a particular problem during the pandemic.

More than 1.3 million heart valve replacement procedures are undertaken globally each year. Rising geriatric population (83 million by 2050) and widespread rheumatic disease (33 million worldwide currently) will increase this need by 4-5 times by 2050. Current biological devices feature poor durability (10-12 years) with structural failure, thrombosis, calcification and endocarditis, while mechanical devices exhibit poor hemocompatibility.

To address these limitations, PoliValve aims at developing the next heart valve prosthesis generation. By mimicking the same mechanism present in the native tissue, our innovative polymeric prosthesis exhibits longer durability than biological prosthesis (30-year at bench testing). In addition, it does not require anticoagulation therapy. What’s more, being amenable to inexpensive mass production techniques, our polymeric heart valve can be manufactured at a much cheaper price and with better quality control. By combining excellent durability, hemocompatibility and simple manufacturing techniques our polymeric valve has therefore the potential to be the one-type-fit-all solution benefiting million of elderly/younger

Vira Health is creating an entirely new standard of care for menopause. Their app will help a woman manage the specific symptoms, such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, hot flushes, weight gain and incontinence, through tailored treatments. Our ambition is to delay the onset of chronic conditions like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and even dementia through personalised care.

Visit their website for further information.

Social enterprise Asan was founded by Ira Guha (KC 2011) with a mission to eradicate period poverty. The enterprise aims to transform period care by distributing reusable menstrual cups.

Working with engineers at the Harvard Innovation Lab, Asan have developed a high quality silicone menstrual cup which can be re-used for 10 years. An affordable and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads, one Asan cup is estimated to avert the waste of over 2,500 tampons, thereby contributing to a significant reduction in landfill waste and plastic pollution in oceans. The cup has a leak-proof design and features a unique removal ring that makes it easy to use.

For every cup sold, Asan donates another to a woman or girl in rural India who cannot afford period care. In the past year, Asan has distributed its cup and provided menstrual health education to over 36 villages in Karnataka State, enabling women and girls to go to school and work during their periods.

Modern Synthesis is a material innovation start up developing radically new sustainable materials for the fashion industry. Their first invention, “Microbial Weaving”, is a patented process for growing composite leather-like materials with higher strength than plastic synthetic leathers and zero hazardous chemical use or microplastic pollution.

Visit their website for further information.

Globally, water-borne bacterial infections lead to half a million diarrhoeal-related deaths each year—more than 2,000 deaths every day. This is more than malaria and HIV-related deaths combined. Testing water supplies for bacterial presence is therefore crucial, especially in remote and low-resource communities. Unfortunately, current water testing equipment is bulky, expensive, and takes at least a day to deliver results.

To tackle this problem, WaterScope® has developed an innovative water testing system, enabling inclusive access to smart, easy-to-use, and reliable testing for bacterial presence in drinking water. Using robust materials and machine learning technology which automatically counts bacterial colonies such as E.coli, the testing system can be used anywhere—from the lab to the field—and can return results in less than 18 hours.

Graduate students Stephane Crayton (KC 2014) and Shirley Lo (KC 2019) presented a design-based enterprise, working mostly with furniture. On receiving the award, Stephane said: “From start to finish, the King’s Entrepreneurship Prize pushed us to ask ourselves questions; we enjoyed particularly talking with the panel after presenting our business plan at the start of June. The award will enable us to take our first steps towards producing a catalogue at scale. We are extremely grateful and excited for the journey ahead, and look forward to sharing our progress with the King’s community over the coming years.”

Immersive content studio Rewind and the space industry experts at In-Space Missions have launched SpaceTime Enterprises. They plan to launch multiple satellites that will broadcast real-time immersive video of the entire Earth. To plug into this view, the only thing needed will be a set of virtual reality goggles.

As the company launches more satellites and increases its database, virtual reality will give way to augmented reality. “In three to five years we hope to offer views of anywhere on Earth in real time,” says Matt Vernon-Clinch of Rewind.

In this situation, users will no longer be tethered to the satellites; instead, they will be able to fly around Earth and zoom in on areas of interest. This means the data could also be used for business and scientific applications.

“You could track plastics in the ocean,” says Vernon-Clinch. “There are lots of environmental spin-outs. We will listen to our audience to see what they want.”