Six-figure sum to help Leicestershire medtech firm launch new products

LEICESTERSHIRE-based Uvamed has received a six-figure funding boost to help develop its next range of innovative anaesthesia drug administration products and expand further across the globe. The funding was provided by Enterprise Loans East Midlands (ELEM) through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).

Founded in May 2014, the business has developed and patented new medical devices to help reduce medication error in anaesthesia. The new products, Rainbow TraysÒ and Tamper Evident Rainbow TraysÒ, are organisational drug carriers incorporating the international colour coding standard to identify drugs prior to administration. The devices can also be used to help secure drugs during patient transfers. Uvamed currently supplies Rainbow TraysÒ to the NHS and private hospitals across the UK as well as exporting to Europe, USA, Australia and the Middle East.

Keith Fawdington, managing director at Uvamed, said:

“Uvamed was set up to respond to unmet clinical needs and concerns in anaesthesia. We aim to create products that promote a culture of safe drug administration and support patient safety.

“Anaesthetic practice is unique because anaesthetists are personally responsible for all steps from drug preparation to administration. They work alone without the benefit of second checking protocols. The creation of a simple standardised system to support this self-checking process is the purpose of Rainbow TraysÒ and thanks to the funding from Enterprise Loans we’re now able to develop and manufacture a larger tamper evident tray in response to demand from the medical industry.

We’re also working to expand in the Australian market and establish Rainbow TraysÒ as the new ‘standard’ for the safe storage, organisation and transportation of anaesthetic drugs.”

Sukhveer Chirrimar, loan fund advisor at Enterprise Loans East Midlands, said:

“Uvamed was referred by its bank and, in my opinion, this is exactly the type of business MEIF has been established to support.

“Keith and his team have taken an idea and turned it into commercially viable product that has set new standards in anaesthesia by bringing standardisation to drug administration. This is the entrepreneurial spirit that makes my job so fantastic and I can’t wait to see where the business goes.”

Kevin Harris, Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

"Uvamed is a Leicestershire-based company with a global outlook, and one that we are very proud to support at the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). With Midlands Engine Investment Fund support, Uvamed will be able to continue to innovate and produce more life-saving products whilst securing business growth."

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

For more information on Enterprise Loans visit www.first-enterprise.co.uk or follow @1st_Enterprise on Twitter. For further information on the MEIF please visit www.meif.co.uk or follow @MidsEngInv

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