Start-up sounds out veterinary market with digital stethoscope
A start up company is aiming for success in the veterinary market with its new digital stethoscope.
Ademen, based in Stratford-upon-Avon and founded by Alistair Foster and three colleagues in 2020, has developed a wireless stethoscope called ‘VetaScope’ which vets can use to listen to animal heartbeats and other internal sounds more clearly and with less need to keep an animal still to get an accurate reading.
The VetaScope, when linked to the companion app, is also able to produce a clear visual image of the data it captures, which means the vet is able to make a more informed diagnosis compared to relying solely on the interpretation of the sounds they hear using a traditional stethoscope.
With support from the Business Ready programme at University of Warwick Science Park throughout its growth, Ademen is now in a position to take VetaScope to market.
Foster said: “The support from Business Ready, and programme manager Ian McFarlane-Toms in particular, has been absolutely fantastic.
“He helped us develop a ‘pitch pack’ to impress initial investors, encouraged us to reach out to local vets to test out VetaScope, and put us in touch with Coventry University Enterprises to access further funding.
“We are now fine-tuning VetaScope after receiving valuable feedback from Animal House Vets in Warwick, and we’re very close to bringing it to market.
“It’s a really exciting time for us, and Business Ready’s help has enabled us to develop rapidly and get to where we are while avoiding common start-up pitfalls.”
Foster founded Ademen alongside fellow directors Victoria Yardley, Daniel Cox and Yan Pugh-Jones, who all knew each other from their time in the automotive sector.
The four looked to bring their skills to the healthcare and veterinary care markets, and they say the cross-industry shift has enabled them to create solutions by listening to the people working in the industry, free from the bias of embedded industry norms.
Ian McFarlane-Toms, Business Ready programme manager, said: “We could see Alistair and Ademen team had a great product, but they needed to make it more appealing to future investors to fulfil their ambitions.
“We strongly encouraged Alistair and the team to reach out to vets who could use the product and endorse it – and happily, the partnership with Hugh at Animal House Vets has been a great success.
“It’s brilliant to see that this idea has grown into something that is close to going to market, and we will continue to support Ademen as it grows even further.”
