Highlands tech outfit behind medical emergency device flying high with £2m funding

A Highlands firm behind technology that could revolutionise how medical emergencies are managed in the air and at sea has secured a £2 million funding injection.

Aiber, the trading name of Inverness-based MIME Technologies, is a proprietary first aid software product with onboard kit, designed to support medical emergencies in environments remote from professional medical care.

The tech was developed with input from two of the world’s top airlines and is designed to be used on commercial airlines, business jets and onboard vessels. It is specifically designed for use by non-medical professionals such as cabin crew.

The product will initially be rolled out in the aviation and maritime sectors, where several high-profile direct sales and channel partner trials are underway in Europe and the US.

BGF, formerly the Business Growth Fund, has provided a £1.6m investment in Aiber. This completes a £2m fundraising round, with existing investors Scottish Enterprise and Equity Gap also participating.

The new funding will help the company, which was spun out from the University of Aberdeen, and has offices in Inverness and Edinburgh, further roll out its product to customers in the aviation and maritime sectors.

Aiber’s potential and ability to align and support existing first aid training was further highlighted when the firm participated in the prestigious ATI Boeing Accelerator Programme in 2021.

As well as providing direct investment, BGF’s pool of non-executive directors, the Talent Network, has introduced Tony Davis to the company. An aviation sector expert and former chief executive of bmibaby and Tiger Airways, Davis will join as a non-executive director.

Dr Alasdair Mort, COO, Aiber; Anne Roberts, co-founder and chief executive, Aiber; Keith Barclay, investor, BGF. Picture: Ian Jacobs Photography

Anne Roberts, co-founder and chief executive of Aiber, said: “As we continue to scale Aiber and its affordable one-touch technology, this investment will allow us to accelerate the roll out of our potentially life-saving solution to more customers in our target sectors.

“Whether in the air or at sea, a medical event in these situations can be incredibly stressful and isolating for those tasked with responding, and we are confident Aiber can reduce the burden and improve passenger health outcomes.”

Keith Barclay, investor at BGF, said: “We are pleased to complete this investment at an exciting moment of growth for Aiber. The company’s pioneering med-tech software product has a significant addressable market, and we look forward to supporting their push into new areas.

“It has also been hugely positive to introduce Tony Davis to the company as part of our investment process to support with the growth journey.”

Kerry Sharp, director of growth investments at Scottish Enterprise, added: “Supporting innovative companies, like Aiber, to progress ground-breaking medical technology is a priority for Scottish Enterprise and we look forward to continuing our support as the company and its customers grow.”

Aiber noted that with a diversion costing an airline anything from £25,000 to £500,000, improving medical outcomes in the sky has positive implications for passenger wellbeing, safety and overall efficiency.

BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested in excess of £3 billion in more than 460 companies, making it the most active growth capital investor in the UK.