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UR

UK Research and Innovation

Government

UK Research and Innovation brings together research councils, Innovate UK and Research England to support research and development.

Portfolio

2

companies


Portfolio companies

o

onHand

A mobile application that connects employees with on-demand volunteering opportunities.

Navenio

Navenio

Navenio builds infrastructure-free indoor location technology to power workforce efficiency apps.


Team

Chris Sawyer

Chris Sawyer

innovation lead for digital health

Chris brings digital health and innovation experience from roles at UK Research and Innovation, Innovate UK, and the NHS.


Recent investments

Seed
£1.0M

The round was led by NorthStar Ventures with backing from Shazam co-founder Dhiraj Mukherjee and UK Research and Innovation.

"NorthStar believes that the next innovation wave is about impact at scale. In the UK alone there are up to 20 Million potential volunteers, 10 Million care recipients and millions more young people, homeless and eco projects urgently needing support. onHand is the first cloud platform to enable volunteers and those needing support to be matched via an app, using geolocation, security checks, and machine learning to deliver the best experience to both sides at scale. Employers know that volunteering improves the satisfaction and ultimately the productivity of their employees, and thus are key partners in onHand’s rapid UK expansion. We are excited to become an early investor in onHand’s journey"
— Dominic Endicott
Grant
£400K

The grant from Innovate UK will be used to accelerate deployment speeds and extend software functionality for infection control in hospitals.

"With COVID-19 still an ever-present challenge in the UK and across the globe, our working lives, social encounters, and travel plans are continually being disrupted. Businesses like Navenio have stepped up to the challenge and produced technology which aims to solve these issues. Those awarded funding from our competition will support the UK in delivering potential solutions and services to facilitate our recovery from the pandemic."
— Ian Campbell, Executive Chair