Southampton inventors pitch ideas at London Tech Week

Scientists and engineers from the University of Southampton’s Future Worlds project will be attending London Tech Week today, hosting a Demo Day at the prestigious British Film Institute at London’s South Bank.

The breakthroughs on display will include an enclosed four-wheeled electric bike to make commuting safer, a revolutionary blood test to detect multiple cancers in a single test, an AI data management platform to unlock the power of chemical information, and an app to help elite athletes monitor their mental and physical health.

Future Worlds Director, Ben Clark, said: “Demo Day is about celebrating, enabling and accelerating the brilliance of exceptional founders from the University of Southampton; they are the heroes because they can reach the extraordinary and make it happen.

“The founders pitching combine the vision, determination and technical skills to pursue audacious start-up launches that can go on to change the world for good.”

Xgenera founder, Andy Shapanis, will be pitching a blood-based, multi-cancer diagnostic test.

He said: "I am excited to pitch at Demo Day, in front of world leading industry experts and investors to share Xgenera’s vision for the future."

Laura Meehan is co-founder of Journally, an app for elite athletes which will help them track their mental and physical health. She said: “We are thrilled to participate in Demo Day, as Future Worlds has been instrumental in shaping our vision and propelling our business forward.

“This event marks a significant milestone, heralding an exciting future for Journally and our commitment to growth."

Future Worlds is described by the university as a 'start-up accelerator' which allows staff and students to build their ideas into viable businesses and inventions.

This year’s cohort has just returned from a visit to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the epicentre of global start-ups and technology.