Innovative SMEs Join MK:5G Accelerator

Innovative start-ups and SMEs addressing challenges relating to mobility, health & wellbeing and data are among a new cohort of businesses to have joined the ground-breaking MK:5G Accelerator

The MK:5G Accelerator is an Innovative SME programme in partnership with the wider MK:5G project, funded by its collaborating partners and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) via its Local Growth Fund programme.

Delivered by Connected Places Catapult and True Altitude the Programme is designed to find innovative start-ups and focused around four key innovation challenges –

Mobility Data – Leverage real-time data and advanced analytics to increase efficiency and resilience of the transport system and reduce costs, improve traveller satisfaction and improve air quality;

Health & Wellbeing – Increase the quality of care or the number of individuals that can be monitored, supported, diagnosed or treated outside of medical facilities;

Low Carbon Energy – Accelerate mass uptake of low-carbon energy solutions by the wider population;

Energy Data – Capture more detailed data relating to energy usage to prioritise energy saving measures to implement in residential, commercial or industrial buildings, such that energy reduction is optimised.

Following the application and selection process a cohort of 10 SMEs who address these challenges have been selected to join the Programme, they are as follows:

• Briteyellow – Smart spaces software and technology company that provides deep indoor location technology that allows people to understand the spaces they are in and place operators to understand how people use them.
• Kar-go – Kar-go is a complete self-driving operating system, comprising both hardware and a complete software stack that addresses the challenge of the last-mile of delivery, by removing the high labour costs of delivery and delivering to your location in real-time.
• Level Five Supplies – Offers Volumetric video – a combination of spatial measurement and panoramic cameras, meshed together, to create complete long-range reality-capture for live-streaming via 5G.
• Fotech – Combines cutting edge photonics, advanced AI and edge computing to deliver advanced monitoring and asset management solutions.
• Imperium Drive – Provides a teleoperation solution that allows a human operator to remotely drive any vehicle using live video and sensor feeds streamed over cellular wireless network.
• Robok Ltd – 3D sensing software solution that can run on low-power computing platforms without using GPUs or hardware accelerators.
• Alchera Tech – Builds operationally effective smart infrastructure systems by providing and analysing usage and operational data in real time.
• Warner Patch – Medical device that predicts disease evolution for clinicians to give preventive care, improve patient outcome and save care costs.
• Findaa – Provides automated asset tracking systems to overcome issues in warehouses, providing automated remote inventory check with a 100% accuracy, indoor items tracking, and real-time security monitoring.
• Now Wireless – Developing a 5G external router with IoT interface and CAV, V2X support.

The Innovative SME programme’s goal is to explore and test how the selected SMEs can leverage and exploit the benefits of 5G technology to improve, enhance their product offering and supporting their growth.

Connected Places Catapult Director of SME Development & Academic Engagement Alex Weedon said: “We are excited to welcome the first cohort to the MK:5G Accelerator, the selected SMEs cover a diverse range of product offerings, operating in multiple sectors and we are looking forward to seeing what they can achieve throughout the programme, utilising the 5G testbed on offer and aided by the support provided by the Programme partners .”

True Altitude (TA) Founder and Managing Director Darko Atijas said “Catapult has been working closely with TA on a leading 5G accelerator programme. TA has been providing mentorship to the impressive cohort of SMEs within the MK:5G programme, which has been a great experience for TA. We’re looking forward to seeing their progression and success over the next few months, and cementing real commercial outcomes for the cohort.”