Oxford Investment Opportunity Network

The following five companies are seeking investment via the Network as a result of the 15 February 2012 OION investment meeting at the Said Business School 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.

2%-4% of children have strabismus (squint) – a chief cause of amblyopia (“lazy eye”). Amblyopia is responsible for visual loss in one eye in children and young adults - 10 times more than all other causes combined. Effectiveness of treatment reduces over time and after the age of 7 or 8, loss of vision can be permanent. Importantly, a large proportion of squints are not noticeable to the unskilled eye. Primary care practitioners - GPs, paediatricians, nurses and health visitors - use manual tests to detect squints, as these are the only tests available to them, but they are difficult to administer reliably and accurately to the under 5’s. Even trained optometrists find this age group a challenge to examine reliably.

Company A have developed a product to replace a 120 year old manual examination. The team has worked together previously to successfully develop and bring to market the world’s first commercially available technology for the automatic removal of red eyes from digital pictures. The product uses principles from the technology for this innovative approach to strabismus screening, whereby squints are detected digitally, in real-time with a handheld smartphone device. The result is complete de-skilling and automation of the clinical examination, opening it up to be used by GPs, health visitors, paediatricians, optometrists and ophthalmologists around the world. The technology has the capacity to create a paradigm shift, on a global basis, in how toddlers and infants are examined and treated for this important eye condition. Company A is looking to raise up to £500k for completion of R & D and initial clinical trials.

Company B is a mobile service which is redefining the way we travel abroad connected. Our travel solutions allow travelers to remain connected globally, while avoiding exorbitant roaming charges. Connectivity is an everyday essential, yet remains a challenge when abroad - tep solves this problem, while also enhancing the travel experience with a mobile app which serves as a one-stop shop for local offers and information.

We are in the process of meeting investors to discuss the next stage of our business plan; launching a global product (with our own branded SIM), developing our travel app, assembling a board of directors and franchising our service to retail outlets in airports (Excess Baggage Company, Airport Concierge) and car rental companies (Europcar, AVIS, Enterprise).

Our travel connectivity solutions have been tested and validated by the market, reaching positive EBITDA, achieving prominent media coverage (NYT, BBC), and establishing strategic relationships (Visit Britain, Expedia) in just 12 months.

Our niche focus means we can concentrate on providing a simple and world-class service which is built for travelers. Through our connectivity and app solutions, we can lay claim to the most integrated and complete travel solution.

Company B is raising up to £650,000 through the issuance of new equity shares.

Company C develops and commercialises nanofibre scaffolds that support the growth of cells in 3D. Uniquely in Europe, Company C designs and manufactures high quality products from biocompatible polymers for use in regenerative medicine, stem cell therapeutics and drug discovery.

An STFC spin-out, Company C has access to world-class facilities at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at low cost, and possesses expert know-how to produce highly consistent, easy-to-use products. Since foundation (2010) Company C has launched a range of tissue engineering laboratory consumables, sold to big pharma, filed its first patent and established industrial collaborations to co-develop medical devices. Company C is developing microplates with in-built scaffolds for oncology drug discovery where more predictive in vitro 3D cell-based assays could reduce the rate of expensive clinical failures (95%) and replace certain animal studies.

Company C has raised £250K and now seeks £150K to fund operations until income supports investment (mid 2013). 2012 income is forecast at £146K with a gross margin of 70%. The company will exit by trade sale to a regenerative medicine pharma company in 3-5 years.

The team has polymer chemistry, electrospinning and stem cell expertise as well as experienced management.

Company D is a UK start-up with a fully-functional advanced LED driver technology and product family, addressing the outstanding driver requirements of the commercial and industrial LED lighting markets.

Over the next four years, the predicted production value CAGR for LED drivers aimed specifically at the lighting market is 40%. This growth will be shared by suppliers that can meet stringent requirements, including:

Deep-dimming
High Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Low ripple

Company D has developed a novel LED driver product family (patent pending) that addresses all three of these requirements. Having completed its main development programme in November 2011, Company D has already received interest from two US-based LED lighting companies. The next steps are to achieve first sales in 2012 and to convert these into repeatable orders.

Company D’s founders have between them, long-standing experience in the areas of electronics design, business development, IP licensing, product development and marketing. Having ‘bootstrapped’ the company, they now seek investment, to be directed toward sales, marketing, product qualification and IP protection activities over the next two years, with the aim of achieving a growing revenue stream of £6.3M pa by the end of 2016, when the founders plan to exit, via trade-sale or IPO.

Company E have developed a unique software solution suite that integrates seamlessly with a business’s IT systems; the software not only allows remote management and problem solving for the device and its user, but also gathers analytics on the specific use of the device as it relates to the businesses processes enabling informed process optimisation.
Company E has had £5m funding to date. This has enabled the software platform to be developed and validated by major IT resellers and OEMs and for the sales pipeline to be developed with these partners. Further, Company E have successfully won global distribution agreements with Tier 1 companies such as BT and Psion who are using mprodigy to enable their global Mobile Managed Services.
The software already controls in excess of 25,000 mobile devices at end customers including Easyjet, KwikFit, Johnson Controls, US Department of State, CBS Outdoor, PH Jones, BT Engage IT, Northumbrian Water, Interserve, Safilo Group, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, PHS, Moody International, Disney, Abbot, T Mobile, Freeport McMoran, US Cellular, Alliander, CSL Behring and Honeywell.
Company E is now seeking venture funding of up to £2m to support rapid sales growth and leverage the company’s early success. Revenues are expected to be £2.37 million in 2012, growing to £10.32 million in 2014, when the company expects to exit via trade sale.
The highly experienced team at Company E , led by Chairman (formerly CEO of Psion and also with Oracle, and Symbian) and CEO (formerly of device manufacturers Intermec), has 80+ years of experience in mobile computing.