Insomnia treatment firm secures six-figure funding and support into 2025

SleepCogni, a Sheffield-based MedTech company aiming to transform insomnia care, has raised a £300,000 EIS pre-approved bridging round, supported by existing investors and grants, bringing total funding to £3.9m.

This infusion of capital extends SleepCogni’s runway through to a larger funding round planned for 2025, enabling the company to achieve major milestones including CE and FCC approvals and commercialising into the £35bn global sleep tech market.

Long-term investor, Mark Milton-Edwards, has reinvested in this round and joined the team as a non-executive director to support global commercialisation.

Additionally, Joseph Hawkins has been promoted to chief operating officer.

Milton-Edwards, formerly head of product and health solutions – Digital Health at Teva Pharmaceuticals, brings over 30 years of experience in pharma and healthcare technology.

Prior to Teva, he spent 16 years at AstraZeneca. His achievements include creation of Digihaler®, the first FDA and MHRA approved fully integrated digital inhaler.

From left, Mark Milton-Edwards and Joseph Hawkins

With expertise in global product launches, predictive AI/ML for healthcare, and reimbursement strategies for the US and NHS, his insights will play a key role in driving SleepCogni’s international expansion and amplifying its global impact.

Hawkins joined SleepCogni after collaborating on his dissertation at the University of Sheffield, where he used machine learning to predict sleep onset, which is now used to personalise SleepCogni’s therapy.

Over the last six years, he has driven NHS collaborations, led UK and US sales, and secured £2m in funding.

Richard Mills, CEO of SleepCogni, said: “I am happy to strengthen our commercial team and announce this additional funding.

“The continued support from our investors is a testament to their confidence in our mission and the team’s ability to deliver.

“With a well-rounded executive team featuring experience from global leaders in pharmaceuticals like Teva, healthcare insurance giants such as  Aetna, and consumer retail leaders like Apple, we are well-positioned to drive the business forward.

“We welcome Mark Milton-Edwards to the team and celebrate Joseph Hawkins’ well deserved appointment as COO.”

Milton-Edwards said: “I’m excited to join SleepCogni at such a pivotal stage in its journey.

“The team, led by Richard, has already achieved remarkable success, with their therapy demonstrating significant improvements vs sham control in a randomised clinical trial setting.

“The opportunity in sleep is immense, and I believe SleepCogni’s technology has the potential to address a critical global need, changing millions of lives through better sleep.

“I look forward to contributing my experience in digital health innovation to help unlock the company’s potential for worldwide impact.

Hawkins added: “This next chapter for SleepCogni is incredibly exciting, and I’m honoured to step into the role of COO during this critical phase.

“Leading our scale-up efforts alongside such talented individuals is a privilege, and I look forward to building something truly impactful.

“Together, we’re ready to take SleepCogni to new heights and transform sleep health on a global scale.”

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