LYVA Labs invests in seven Liverpool City Region innovation businesses in a month

LYVA Labs has made its greatest ever number of investments in a month, supporting seven inspirational innovators with a total £305K initial funding.

LYVA Labs invested in seven businesses including health tech businesses, Vizbox and Good Vibrations, and deep tech businesses Barro, Birl, Cubode, gigmate, and Universal Atmosphere Engineering (UAP).

LYVA Labs can invest up to £250K into businesses that are using innovation to answer real world challenges.

Akshay Bhatnagar, LYVA Labs’ Head of Investment, said: “LYVA Labs’ investment team has been busy this month! Congratulations to all the entrepreneurial businesses we have invested in, all of whom create products and services that harness innovation to solve important challenges.”

LYVA Labs was established with £11m from Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority, to drive innovation and economic growth by turning great ideas into high-growth businesses and creating partnerships to attract investment.

More about the investment companies:

Vizbox is a Birkenhead based business that co-produces immersive health technologies and developed SKYLA VR, a virtual reality tool that gamifies rehabilitation for stroke patients, making the process more engaging.

The technology incorporates both artificial and virtual reality technologies, co-produced by stroke survivors and stroke rehabilitation experts. The tool supports the rehabilitation of gross and fine motor skills, whilst improving balance, cognitive, and general wellbeing, following a stroke.

SKYLA VR was tested in a participation trial at University of Liverpool, which found the technology provided a more flexible, intense, personalised stroke rehabilitation experience. With 100,000 people suffering a stroke each year this technology has an important role to play in rehabilitation.

LYVA Labs investment team. Picture by Gareth Jones

Carl, from Viz Box, said:

“We are really pleased with this investment from LYVA Labs as it helps us to commercialise our SKYLA VR product. The funding supports our plans to create an automated content management system for collecting VR headset data, an AI algorithm for safer storage and use of patient and professional data, and a clinical trial to help us gain medical device accreditation.”

Good Vibrations Only, is a Liverpool City Region business that has developed a vibrating insole with sensory feedback to support children with autism that tiptoe walk. Nicki Allen, a paediatric physiotherapist, evaluated the prototype with children and parents at the school at which she works, which specialises in teaching children with autism.

Nicki is also Good Vibrations’ Founder and said:

“Our initial testing of the product with children with autism who tiptoe walk showed reliably good results. We are really excited by this investment, which allows us to collect the data we need to support adoption of our product, promote Good Vibrations at conferences, and develop a full ‘go to market’ plan for the year ahead.”

Around 700,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with autism. One in five children with autism tiptoe walk. Idiopathic tip-toe walking (ITW) has no cause, and is common in young children without autism, many of whom grow out of the behaviour. This product will support children with autism, who often need treatment to avoid future physiological issues.