Digital healthcare start-up wins share of multi-million pound funding
A digital healthcare start-up has secured two grants including a six-figure sum from a Government programme to trial ground-breaking gaming and AI technology to support early screening and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Yorkshire-based Ascentys has originated in Alzheimer’s research UK funding.
In partnership with Durham University and Hywel Dda University Health Board, it has successfully acquired rounds of funding from Innovate UK, including its SMART award for innovation anticipated to have the highest impact on the UK economy.
Ascentys, which has bases in Bradford and Leeds, has also received multi-million pound international investment interest.
Its share of the £25m Government funding has been set aside to fund the development and piloting of a videogame with the potential to enhance current NHS support for the disease.
The money will be used to continue development and clinical testing of the Game based Dementia Automated Testing Algorithm known as G:DATA. The videogame and related artificial intelligence-based technology aims to provide rapid concurrent screening and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s Dementia with rehabilitative potential.
Ascentys was formed by Dr Sayed Kazmi, a former senior academic for more than 20 years and advisor to a Silicon Valley technology investment group.
Having witnessed family and friends’ health decline from the disease, he embarked on a mission to improve early screening and diagnosis.
Kazmi said: “Treatment and care of Alzheimer’s Dementia costs the NHS millions annually and desperately requires innovation to transform the current treatment pathway for the disease to substantially reduce clinical burden and waiting list times for patients.
“The aim of G:DATA is to have a role in this and to raise the effectiveness and quality of care provided to patients using an inexpensive, highly engaging, and non-invasive alternative to existing approaches.
“It gives us great pleasure to announce this award and we are confident G:DATA will play a key role in transforming the current screening and diagnostics of Alzheimer’s Disease and ultimately work towards providing a genuinely novel treatment.”
Ascentys works alongside neuroscientists, psychiatrists, clinicians, researchers, and award-winning game developers to create digital videogames and related technologies including advanced Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence.
It aims to disrupt existing mental health pathways to develop vastly more effective and efficient screening, diagnostics, and treatments.
