Seven health tech start-ups are set to receive up to £70,000 in support through the DTC Health incubation programme, including suppliers developing a wearable robotic arm to support stroke rehabilitation, and an AI-enhanced diagnostic platform.
The DTC Health programme is intended to help early-stage businesses bring their ideas to market faster and achieve success in the global health tech arena, the UKRI explains. It offers a package of support and resources including AI and prototyping facilities, expert business guidance, and intellectual property support.
Among the start-ups is HMA Technologies, which is working on a wearable robotic arm support to help stroke survivors complete rehabilitation exercises from home. Another is Asika, focusing on the development of AI agents to automate admin workflows in hospital and clinic settings.
CCI Photonics is building an AI-enhanced diagnostic platform that uses infrared lights to detect and assess infections at the point of care. InformiX Pharma is using advanced 3D X-ray imaging to understand how medicines are structured and support the design of more effective treatments.
Beyond Blood is developing portable blood testing technology that uses AI and advanced microfluidics to deliver results in clinics and community settings. Eyetech Innovations is creating a portable device to measure eye movement excursions to support clinicians in assessing neurological and ophthalmic conditions. And UKind XR is producing trauma-informed VR and AI support for those waiting for therapy.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council’s executive director of business and innovation, Paul Vernon, said: “From helping stroke survivors recover mobility to developing new medicines, these pioneering companies are turning ambitious ideas into technologies that could transform healthcare and improve lives. Through DTC Health, STFC is giving early-stage businesses access to the expertise, facilities and support they need to take their ideas from the lab into the real world.”
Wider trend: Health innovation
A UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship is to provide £2.4 million of funding over four years to establish a “living lab” in Manchester exploring the potential for wearable tech to improve patient care and outcomes. The fellowship, awarded to Lukas Hughes-Noehrer, lead for computational medicine at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), will also see the launch of a wearables clinical trial of 800 patients undergoing lung and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery to test adoption and impact on health outcomes.
Applications have opened for the sixth cohort of the NHS Fellowship in Clinical AI, offering applicants the chance to be matched with existing clinical AI projects within the NHS to learn about the safe deployment and evaluation of AI in clinical workflows. The fellowship is designed to run for 12 months, with successful applicants receiving salary cover for two days (15 hours) per week of time to commit to their study. Partial remote working and flexible hours may be available depending on the project.
The winners have been announced in the Health Tech Awards 2026, with entries testament to the incredible hard work taking place, and showcasing a huge range of different ways that technology is driving transformation, enhancing care for patients, and supporting clinicians in their daily roles.
