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The Thames Valley tech roundup: Altitude Angel’s $4.5m, Serelay’s funding from Google DNI & more

Thames Valley

Louize Clarke, founder of ConnectTVT, shares the biggest technology stories coming out of the Thames Valley area. 

This year is already racing ahead with exciting new developments across our tech ecosystem.

Altitude Angel’s $4.5m Series A

We start our roundup with Altitude Angel, the drone management platform and airspace integration startup, which secured a $4.5m Series A round.

Led by the Seraphim Space Fund, with participation from ADV and Frequentis AG, the round of funding will enable Altitude Angel to bring its purpose-built GuardianUTM platform for U-Space and Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) into new territories. 

The business, which is based in Reading, is also set to expand its on-the-ground commercial and engineering presence with new offices in Europe and North America, and a number of key senior hires to help it transition further into the aviation industry.

“Drones have the power to revolutionise business and transform lives,” said Altitude Angel Founder & CEO, Richard Parker. “We’re at the start of an aerial revolution that’s driven by low-cost drone technology and Altitude Angel’s technologies are key to unlocking their potential. It’s a really exciting time for the business and right now, growing our UK and European teams is the real focus.”

Intelligent Health scores cash

Intelligent Health, the HealthTech startup with the mission to get the country off the sofa landed a £175,000 investment from Thames Valley Berkshire (TVB) Growth Fund.

Intelligent Health uses technology and behaviour change theory to inspire active communities around the UK, Europe and the US, through its award-winning Beat the Street programme. Led by Dr William Bird, MBE, the team has been welcomed into the High Growth Support programme from the Thames Valley Berkshire Growth Hub.

This follows two new programme launches, including the co-creation of an NHS Digital Patient Platform, as well as its Social Prescription System going live with Luton Borough Council and West Ham Foundation. Intelligent Health’s  Social Prescription System provides a secure, time-saving method to connect, manage, support and track patients, through a stand-alone software system with RFID technology or a fully integrated seven point programme to establish a social prescription.

Dr William Bird, MBE said. “We are at a critical time in our business development and the support we have had from FSE is timely and allows us to put in place our plans for growth. We are committed to find ways to improve health across the UK and take steps to expand across Europe.”

Backing from Google DNI and the European Space Agency

Serelay, the platform establishing the industry standard for trusted media capture, has secured prototype development funding from Google DNI.  The startup develops camera capture functionality for mobile phones, checking output media for authenticity and context.

The team, led by CEO and founder Roy Azoulay, has also been accepted on to the European Space Agency’s Business Incubator programme as well as being one of just six start-ups supported by the centre for Secure Information Technologies in 2018.  This month sees Serelay kick off a £300k Innovate UK research project.

Roy says, “We’re trying to tackle an important problem – the extent to which online misinformation, ‘fake news’ being just one aspect of this problem is negatively impacting our society. Serelay allows for quick, simple verification for users and platforms.”

Serelay is committed to a 50:50 gender ratio in its hiring this year.

Enswarm closer to killing meetings

Found yourself in one too many meetings lately? Thames Valley startup Enswarm could be your super-hero. The B2B SaaS tool and team intelligence platform goes live this summer to provide the digital alternative to the meeting.

With £142500 through SEIS, founder and CEO Joe Kay has been able to grow his team size to 7. He says “This is the first step towards accomplishing our mission to transform the way people work together and it feels fantastic. We’re growing our team and are now rapidly accelerating towards raising a larger round with public release set for the summer.”

ConnectTVT launches Reading Smart City Challenge Weekend

And finally, I’m delighted that ConnectTVT has been selected by Digital Catapult’s IoTUK programme, to launch the Reading Smart City Challenge Weekend.

The event will help accelerate SME development of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions based on the real-world challenges affecting smart city environments and is part of IoTUK Boost, the innovation support programme that seeks to advance the UK’s global leadership in the Internet of Things.

Successful ideas could be adopted, funded and developed by sponsors, working towards bringing Reading closer to smart city status.

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