Medical tech start-up wins free space at incubator

Kirsten Lord, founder and chief executive of PhysioWizard. Picture: Contributed

Kirsten Lord, founder and chief executive of PhysioWizard, will also receive business coaching and access to a mentoring network after winning the first MediCity Scotland Develop Accelerator Programme.

PhysioWizard, which has created a clinically-validated online self-assessment platform to help treat people with back pain, won the programme after pitching against six other medical technology firms.

Lord said: “I was thrilled to be recognised by the independent and distinguished judges at the end of the Develop programme against fellow cohort participants who proved to extremely stiff competition.

“Lower back pain is the biggest cause of ill health in the world and the PhysioWizard collects data from the patient and uses a series of sophisticated software algorithms to triage the patient’s condition to give advice and treatment. I’m very excited about the business being engaged with MediCity Scotland where we can benefit and grow from the extensive support on offer.”

Rising cases of young people with spinal problems

MediCity, on the BioCity Scotland campus in Lanarkshire, has been set up through an injection of more than £1 million from the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, with funding from the UK Department of Business Innovation & Skills and additional backing from North Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise.

Toby Reid, managing director of BioCity, said: “Our Develop programme is highly practical – there is nothing else like it in the life science sector in Scotland.

“Our goal is to help participants discover a scalable business model that will allow them to build a successful company with substantially less money and in a shorter amount of time than using traditional methods. Everyone who has completed the programme also then has the scope to be considered for further one-to-one coaching, tenancy to the MediCity Scotland incubator, an investment readiness programme and access to our extensive life science mentor network.”

The next Develop programme is due to start in September, with a “boot camp” for academics, entrepreneurs and start-ups to be held at MediCity from 13 to 15 June.