Discovery Park, Kent’s thriving life science and innovation community, welcomed eight promising cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health start-ups to the ‘Discovery Spark’ business growth programme, championing and supporting early stage business working on innovations in heart health.
The early stage companies were selected from a wide pool based on the need for their innovation, the uniqueness of their solution and the strength of their team. Over the next six weeks, the companies will attend expert-led sessions focused on investor readiness, covering essential business topics from intellectual property to branding. The programme culminates with a pitch day offering the chance to receive up to £250K investment from venture capital firm Zinc and the opportunity for free lab or office space at Discovery Park.
As the fifth iteration of the Spark programme, the cohort’s focus on heart health was selected for its high burden on lives, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for 1 in 4 of all deaths in the UK. There is also a significant gender health gap for heart diseases, with women less likely to receive the appropriate diagnostic tests and treatments.
