Oxford Investment Opportunity Network

The following five companies are seeking investment via the Network as a result of the 29 June 2009 OION investment meeting at Venturefest at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. The descriptions available summarise the investment proposal made by the company. The information is provided by the company and has not been vetted in any way by OION.

If you are interested in receiving further information on any of the companies then please contact us.

Company A established in 2008 as a spin out from the University of Newcastle, have unique and patented technology exploiting plasma emission spectroscopy (‘PES’).

The first commercial application will be the quantitative analysis of acetone in human breath for the quick, highly accurate, cost-effective, non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring, of both ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2’ diabetes. The product will be made available first for the GP’s surgery, hospital ward, specialist clinic and research laboratory. Subsequent products will be volume retailed through High Street pharmacist chains for routine diabetic monitoring. The product can also be applied to monitor sports and fitness training programs, ‘low-carb’ diets and eating disorders.

Company A have been supported financially to date with RDA grants plus angel investments. The company now seeks £600,000 to commercialise the existing working prototype.

Company B develops content for clinical decision support tools to guide physicians in prescribing the right treatment for each individual patient suffering from a mental illness, such as schizophrenia or depression.

Patients prescribed a particular drug for mental illness often do not benefit from the treatment and many also suffer serious side effects. Physicians frequently practice “trial and error” prescribing in an attempt to find the right drug treatment for each patient. The costs of ineffective or sub-optimal treatment of mental illness are substantial in terms of both human suffering and healthcare expenses.

Company B integrates information from its growing database of clinical observations, genetic test results and outcome data for patients treated with drugs for mental illness. The Company’s first product will be content for a clinical decision support tool, combining clinical and genetic data, to inform physicians of the probability that a patient treated with an antipsychotic drug will experience weight gain, a serious side effect associated with cardiovascular and diabetic morbidity, poor treatment adherence and consequent psychotic relapse.

Company B are raising £700K to finance progress to a validation milestone for the content of a weight-gain clinical decision support tool.

Company C was formed in 2007 following the purchasing of the assets and intellectual property of one company out of administration and a merger with another, synergistic company (Hallmark Analytical Ventures). Company C are currently trading globally and is located in a modern facility in St. Asaph, N. Wales.

Company C are seeking investments totalling £300k, to complement £200k of funding recently committed by the founders and existing shareholders. Funds will be used to build a better sales and marketing presence for existing products and to accelerate new product development and its associated clinical trials.

The company’s novel and patent-granted technology allows rapid detection of low levels of substances in very small test samples (e.g. of finger-stick blood) using a simple test device. Initial product focus is on a range of six tests to assist in the diagnosis of allergy, which can either be used by local healthcare professionals (e.g. GPs or retail pharmacies), or by the patient themselves in the privacy of their own home. The allergy tests are “CE-Marked” for self-testing under the EU’s “In Vitro Diagnostics (ivD) Directive”

Other applications for the company’s platform technology, for both ivD use and food testing applications (e.g. cereal gluten and food allergen detection in foods) with similarly attractive market opportunities have been identified and will be presented.

Venous leg ulcers are amongst the most prevalent form of chronic wounds in the Western World and 1 in 100 adults will be affected at sometime. The cost of treatment for leg ulcers has been conservatively estimated at over £500M/a when practitioner time is included.

The treatment of ulcerations remains an art rather than a science and leaders in the clinical community and bandage assessment fields have worked with Company D to define their problems and the solutions required.

The ultimate aim of Company D is to develop a ‘smart’ bandage. Such a product does not currently exist. Supply of such a development, will provide both time and cost savings to the NHS and other healthcare providers.

Whilst working towards this aim, Company D intends to help bring the treatment of leg ulcers into the 21st Century by providing the tools to allow practitioners to optimise applied pressures and ensure they are within the known treatment guidelines. The introduction of this technology is expected to be reduction of healing times and complications.

Company D intends to capitalise on these existing technologies and the immediate market opportunities that exists by supplying the market with a pressure monitoring training aid. The team are already making progress with their aims and further funding is required to support this.

Following initial seedcorn funding of £150k a prototype pressure monitor is currently being developed and should be ready within the next 2-3 months. Key opinion leader support has been secured and commercial interest has been shown. Company D requires a further £250k to commercialise the training aid and secure its first revenue stream.

Company E was founded to exploit over a decade of research and development into electrical power conversion technology. The Company aims to become a volume supplier of components into the strongly emerging green energy, electric and hybrid vehicle markets.

Company E have a proven technology and existing product which are well placed to address a wide range of demanding applications across a number of strongly emerging markets. Since receiving early technical and commercial validation of its flagship technology, the Company is aiming to enter a phase of rapid growth building sales revenue and expanding its product portfolio through a combination of equity investment and European grant funding.

Company E are focused on delivering commercially viable, highly differentiated solutions which can help drive a net reduction in carbon emissions.

The Company offers a strong proposition to prospective Investors:

• High growth technology opportunity, moving to exploitation
• Significant IP and 'Know-How'
• Proven technology
• Existing market ready technology
• Strong commercial proposition in high growth markets
• Competitive advantage, compelling USP's
• Leverage of public funds to mitigate R&D risk
Excellent prospects