On 9 September 2019, DigitalHealth.London welcomed their fourth cohort of digital health companies on to their Accelerator Programme. We were one of those companies. Now, almost 12 months on, we have been reflecting on our experiences of being part of this scheme.
What is the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator?
The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme aims to speed up the adoption of technology in London’s NHS, relieving pressure on services and empowering patients to manage their health. Since 2015, it has been working each year with up to 20 high potential SMEs, giving bespoke support and advice, a programme of expert-led workshops and events, and brokering meaningful connections between innovators and NHS organisations with speciifc challenges.
Our Navigator
Each SME is assigned an NHS Navigator, an experienced professional from the NHS with the expertise to share advice on products in development, NHS navigation and business models. We were extremely fortunate to be assigned to Ruth Bradbury.
Our Reflections on the Accelerator
“Our involvement in the Accelerator Programme has exceeded our expectations. During this time, our team size has doubled, and our clients have tripled. Ruth really helped us to understand where the value lay in our company, our products and our services.
When we were struggling with the evaluation of our pilot, Ruth helped to get us back on track. She encouraged us to be very diligent about every aspect of the evaluation. This included how to effectively engage with our stakeholders, as well as the importance of devising a clear plan to address the issues we were facing.”
Dr Greg Burch, Chief Clinical Information Officer, Tiny Medical Apps
“Although I only joined Tiny Medical Apps part way through the Accelerator programme, I have seen how it has helped to shape the future direction of the company, particularly in terms of developing our value proposition.“
Paul Weston, Strategic Partner Manager, Tiny Medical Apps
“For me, the Accelerator enabled us to develop the skills and knowledge required to scale up and to become a commercially viable company by making us focus on our value proposition and customer management. It has helped us to recognise the importance of effectively communicating with, and maintaining, our existing client relationships and focus on project delivery, as well as how we communicate our unique value to new clients.
I am very happy with how everything has gone and I genuinely think we made the most of the opportunity given the obvious contraints on capacity that all companies face. Ruth, in particular, has made this Accelerator a very enjoyable and valuable experience.”
Matt Bourne, Chief Technology Officer, Tiny Medical Apps
We have gained a lot from our Accelerator experience, and would highly recommend it to other emerging digital health companies. Thank you, Ruth, and everyone else involved in the Accelerator programme. We look forward to our continued involvement via the alumni.
If reading this has sparked your interest, you can register for a future cohort on the DH.L Accelerator website.
