Medical start-up set to make breakthrough for patients with breathing problems
A Leicestershire entrepreneur and clinical perfusionist has secured a start-up loan of £25,000 to launch a company that designs and manufactures medical simulators for patients with critical breathing problems.
The Simulator Company uses its patented technology to enable clinicians to practice critical therapies such as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) which is used to help treat patients with critical breathing symptoms from COVID-19, Swine Flu and cardiac arrest.
Having worked as a clinical practitioner and therapy trainer for several years Sagar Haval, along with his partner Babita Haval, identified a need for an efficient prototype to eliminate the clinical failures and drive better therapy outcomes.
The duo will use the loan from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans to invest in the tools and technology needed to efficiently produce the simulators, which are newer and more accurate models than those currently available on the market.
Haval said: “I am very pleased with the support I received from First Enterprise. The initial preparation required for the Start Up Loan application helped me evaluate my business and its needs from a new perspective and has provided me with the reassurance to move forward. I have been in the medical line for a long time, so the advice and support I received from the Start Up Loans business expert has helped me learn and understand how to run a business effectively alongside the medical knowledge I already have. The mentorship has also helped me streamline my decisions and goals for the business.
“The Start Up Loan I received from First Enterprise was vital in the initial challenges I faced when trying to procure engineering companies, as it gave me the capital needed in order to produce a working prototype. I anticipate that the company will soon be going international and has a strong pipeline of customers which I did not expect to get in year one.”
Richard Bearman, managing director of Start Up Loans, said: “It is always great to see the government-backed Start Up Loans scheme being used to fund innovative and impactful businesses, demonstrating the vital impact UK small enterprises have on our society and economy. For these complicated businesses, the mentoring, support and guidance the scheme offers is more important than ever, and I’m pleased to see the value it has provided to The Simulator Company’s development.”
