Newcastle University spin-out expands following 1m investment

June 16th 2017

Changing Health, a spin-out company from Newcastle University and the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has recruited six new employees following a 1m funding round, in which the Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund, managed by Northstar Ventures, participated.

The hires were paired with relocation into Newcastle offices and a partnership with Nuffield Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare provider in the UK. Changing Health will deliver services to Nuffields corporate clients, expanding on the multiple NHS partnerships that are delivering Changing Health to thousands of patients across the country.

John Grumitt, CEO, said: "We're excited to expand and attract talent to the North East following the investment by Northstar Ventures. Among appointed staff members are Business Development Director Mark Scorringe, who previously worked at global pharmaceutical company Eli-Lilly, and Marketing and Communications Director Jonathan Gwillim, who has over 10 years of experience in healthcare market insight.

Changing Health, which launched last year, uses evidence-based behavioural change techniques to improve the lives of people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Professor Mike Trenell, Chief Scientist at the spin-out, and a Senior Researcher at Newcastle University, is highly regarded for his research into behavioural change in people with T2D.

The platform the company has developed provides users with educational content about managing T2D, healthy eating and exercise. Users can also track their personal data, set realistic goals and receive personal interaction with trained coaches.

Professor Trenell said: "Diabetes is currently the single biggest health issue in the UK and the greatest cost to the NHS and other healthcare providers. Yet 70% of Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented or reversed with a healthy diet and physical activity. Changing Health addresses this need by reducing barriers to patients accessing the educational programme they need and for the first time making available evidence-based behavioural change tools that improve health outcomes and reduce delivery costs."

Alex Buchan, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, said: "Changing Health has taken an established educational programme and, through digitisation, developed a platform that could be a key factor in reducing the number of people living with Type 2 Diabetes. It is the only educational programme where trials have shown a direct reduction in key indicators of diabetes and it is encouraging to see the NHS and an established healthcare provider like Nuffield Health be so quick to adopt the technology.

"Furthermore John has an impressive track record of rolling out new technologies and extensive experience of working with healthcare providers, meaning he is ideally placed to oversee the roll out of the Changing Health platform."