The spirit of innovation in Britain was alive and well on 26 November as four Modern British Inventors showcased their new products at the Central Research Laboratory (CRL) Demo Day. 

Ready for market

Having come to the end of their journey on CRL’s intensive six-month Accelerator Programme, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the exciting young entrepreneurs are now ready to launch their products to market.

CRL supports a select group of startups and scaleups through product development, commercial strategy, and investor readiness. The Accelerator Programme started in 2015 and is the longest running programme of its kind.

Inaugural pitches

Over three hundred inspired investors, partners and influencers flocked to Demo Day to hear the young founders’ pitches and get hands-on with the innovations for themselves.  The inspiring inventions showcased were:

• PetInstincts’ wellbeing monitoring service that allows pet owners to monitor and care for their pets when they are not at home. Founded by Anil Puri.
• BrainPatch’s two-way brain computer interface that uses AI to deliver a range of applications for increasing productivity and happiness. Founded by Nickolai Vysokov.
• Ethiot’s monitoring device and smart controller which will help housing associations, landlords and home owners improve indoor air quality for tenants. Founded by Pete Beckett.
• Findaa’s next-generation indoor tracking system which significantly reduces costs and improves efficiency across multiple industries. Founded by Leo Meng.

Top tips and sage advice

Top tips and sage advice was generously given to the programme graduates by a panel of industry experts and entrepreneurs including: Will Carlysmith – Design and Engineering Director at Brompton Bikes, former CRL Accelerator Programme graduate and founder of CosiCare – Lauren Bell, and Solveiga Pakštaitė – former CRL Accelerator Programme graduate and founder of Mimica.

Nickolai Vysokov, founder of BrainPatch said: “The Demo Day exhibit and pitches took a great amount of preparation, but it all paid off – amazing exhibit stands and four great pitches. I’m very grateful to the team at CRL helping us round the clock to get the prototypes and the exhibition stands designed and for putting together the programme, interviews and feedback on the pitches.”

An 80% survival rate

Nine out of ten startups fail worldwide, however, startups that join CRL’s Accelerator Programme have an 80% survival rate. Since its launch in 2015, CRL has helped hundreds of startups build everything from the next generation of service robots to toys that help children suffering from chronic eczema.

Toby Kress, Managing Director, CRL says: “The energy and excitement at CRL’s Accelerator Programme Demo Day 2019 was incredible! The talent displayed by the latest cohort members is outstanding and CRL is immensely proud of them all. Our modern British inventors have, without a doubt, proven that they are breaking the stereotype. They are an inspiration. Innovation in Great Britain has an exciting future ahead!”

Plus X Powerhouse

To continue CRL’s success, planning permission has been secured to move to a new space in Hayes called Plus X Powerhouse. The new building will have three times more capacity than CRL currently occupies, allowing freelancers, entrepreneurs, startups, scaleups and corporations innovate and grow. Plus X Powerhouse will open in Autumn 2020.

Find out more!

To find out more about CRL, Plus X Powerhouse and our wide range of programmes, contact  [email protected]