Funding Boost for First Responder Innovation

MIME Technologies, a med-tech spin-out from the University of Aberdeen, has received £248,000 in funding from the Scottish Government to help deliver technology that will support the heavily impacted aviation industry during its recovery from the pandemic. It will also drive new maritime med-tech solutions and create several skilled jobs in Scotland.

Headquartered in Inverness, the firm develops technology that supports non-medical professionals during first response situations in environments which are remote from immediate medical care. Initially focused on the aviation industry, MIME Technologies’ solution communicates detailed on-scene emergency data, such as the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, to professional medical services using secure cloud technology. 

Allowing aviation medical providers to see this on-scene data ensures they can make informed decisions about the passenger’s need for immediate medical attention, supporting inflight diversion decisions and ensuring that the handover into medical care is seamless.

The recent award from the competitive Early Stage Growth Challenge Fund, delivered by Scottish Enterprise on behalf of the Scottish Government, offers support to early-stage, innovative, high-growth companies which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will support the company with new investment into Research & Development, as well as activities focused on entering new offshore markets.

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Anne Roberts, Chief Executive at MIME Technologies, said: “It has never been more important for the aviation industry to provide clear guidance and reassurance that every effort is being made to prioritise the health of passengers and employees. As the industry begins to recover following COVID-19, commercial and private airlines can use our technology to do just that. It will also streamline contract costs to help manage decreased budgets and optimise support for cabin crew during medical emergencies.

“Despite challenging operating conditions this year, MIME Technologies has continued to thrive. Our company roadmap has accelerated in 2020, and we are expanding our operations to include maritime solutions. This market shares the same challenges as aviation: a reliance upon people with basic training to deliver first response care in difficult environments, often hundreds or even thousands of miles away from medical services.

“This funding is an acknowledgement of the impact that technology like ours can have in several remote care markets during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. It also enables us to create an increasing number of fulfilling job opportunities in Scotland’s vibrant med-tech sector. We look forward to welcoming new talent to our team.”

The company, which received its first investment from Scottish angel syndicate Equity Gap, launched its aviation product earlier this year to support cabin crew first response at 40,000 feet on commercial aircraft or private jets. 

Equity Gap Director, Fraser Lusty, commented: “Despite operating in a very difficult business environment, the team at MIME Technologies has shown considerable resilience through COVID-19 and continues to pursue opportunities to support customers who are under pressure to reduce contract costs as the aviation industry recovers. This award from the Scottish Government will enable the MIME team to refocus their sales strategy into other offshore markets as well as accelerate further innovations to their technology, building the business back stronger ahead of future funding rounds.”

Founded by Dr Alasdair Mort and Anne Roberts, MIME Technologies is located at Solasta House, Inverness. Supported by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the company was a Scottish EDGE winner in 2017. Additional awards include SCDI’s Excellence in Research & Innovation award. The company was ranked 9th in the ‘Scotland Tech 50’ firms from BusinessCloud (2020).