Wessex AHSN launches Investment Fund

Health and life science companies operating in Hampshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire are invited to apply for up to £100,000 of funding to bring new health solutions to market.

Wessex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) has launched its own Investment Fund to accelerate the growth of health and life science companies in the Wessex region. The total fund of £200,000 is offered with preference given to companies operating in our priority areas (respiratory, nutrition, dementia, reducing harm from alcohol, medicines optimisation, patient safety and mental health) and we are looking for 3 to 5 investments.

The investment fund is earmarked for high-growth companies typically making the transition from start-up to growth phase and looking to raise up to £100,000. This is a great opportunity to benefit from the wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience that exists within the Wessex AHSN. We will assess the health and wealth benefits, alignment with our strategy, feasibility and your company's financial strength in making our final decision.

"Wessex AHSN is helping to develop strong businesses and bring new solutions to market," said Martin Stephens, Wessex AHSN's CEO. "This initiative will provide a major boost to innovation in the region to improve the health and care of our local population."

To be eligible for funding we require the submission of a brief business plan – available to download as a PDF file below – to assess your company's readiness for investment.

Businesses who reach the second phase of the selection process will be invited to pitch at an Investment Day in February, with third phase interviews taking place in early March. Our Investment Advisory Group will bring their recommendations to our March Board for endorsement, and successful candidates will be notified shortly afterwards. Release of funding will be subject to due diligence conducted in April by a firm selected by Wessex AHSN, with the costs covered by the recipient. It is anticipated that the funds will be released in May 2015.

All applications must be received by 5pm Wednesday 28th January. Please email your application to enquiries@wessexahsn.net, including 'Investment Fund Application 2015' in the subject line.

For more information, please contact Andy Burroughs, Director of Wealth and Enterprise at Wessex Academic Health Science Network on andy.burroughs@wessexahsn.net or 023 8202 0843.

ABOUT WESSEX ACADEMIC HEALTH SCIENCE NETWORK

Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) have the potential to transform health and care by putting innovation at the heart of the NHS, improving patient outcomes and contributing to economic growth. Wessex AHSN is one of 15 networks across England established to pull together the adoption and spread of innovation with clinical research and trials, informatics, education and healthcare delivery.

Granted its licence by NHS England in August 2013, Wessex AHSN is already making rapid progress in developing solutions to healthcare problems and spreading existing solutions more rapidly. We are doing this by building strong relationships with our regional healthcare partners, scientific and academic communities, and industry partners. Bringing people and organisations together in innovative ways creates an environment of innovation discovery, where we can generate opportunities for health and life science companies to create investment for the UK, understand the NHS marketplace and where appropriate, establish an evidence base for the efficacy of new products.

To find out more about the work of Wessex AHSN, browse our website from the above menu and click on 'Visit Wessex AHSN' to browse our corporate site. You can also follow us on Twitter @WessexAHSN.

For more information about the national AHSN Network, visit www.ahsnnetwork.com