Student doctor’s life-saving AI enterprise wins our £50k funding competition at The Shard
A young entrepreneur whose AI social enterprise will help medical professionals save time, money and lives has won £20,000 after wowing the judges at our Ignite funding competition at The Shard.
Talha Mehmood, a medical student at Anglia Ruskin University, is the founder of Medily AI – a suite of digital tools that support more efficient management of patient care. Talha, 22, was declared the first winner of Ignite, launched by The Ford Family Foundation in partnership with Durham University. All six highly impressive finalists were undergraduates or recent graduates from leading UK universities.
Medily AI founder and Ignite winner Talha Mehmood commented: “It’s surreal to think that a year ago I started Medily AI from my bedroom, and I’ve just won £20,000 after pitching at The Shard. Medily AI is designed to help doctors spend less time on admin and more time with patients, which has the potential to save lives in healthcare globally. I’m incredibly proud of what we’re building, and grateful I was able to convey my vision to the judges. The support from the Ignite team has been invaluable, and I’m more determined than ever to make a lasting impact.”
Tony Ford, founder of the Ford Family Foundation, added: “Ignite is a testament to the incredibly driven young people coming out of our universities, to their intelligence, their entrepreneurship and most importantly to their social values. The final was a masterclass in pitching and we are looking to help these social enterprises by investing our money, time and experience to maximise their potential and chances of success. Our Family Foundation is keen to invest an initial £3.5m in sustainable, growing and impactful businesses.”
The other five Ignite finalists, who share £30,000, were:
The Even Project CIC – Awarded £12,500
Absorbent underwear which provides a sustainable and much more cost effective alternative for the 26 million refugees in period poverty.
EqualReach – Awarded £7,500
A platform which significantly reduces the time it takes for refugees to secure online freelancing projects, cutting the process from six months to two weeks.
DEWEY Clothing – Awarded £5,000
Fashion for the 2.5 billion adults globally who are under 5 feet tall and are overlooked by mainstream fashion brands. Supported by British Paralympian Ellie Simmonds OBE.
Verified by Maudsley – Awarded £2,500
Addresses the growing need for a quality assurance framework and verification kitemark in the rapidly expanding and unregulated market of mental health apps.
CarbonTrac – Awarded £2,500
Allows consumers to track their carbon footprint while grocery shopping, using AI and a comprehensive database to educate and empower individuals to make sustainable choices.
The judges tasked with selecting the winner on 3rd October 2024 were Jack Ford of the Ford Family Foundation, Sarah Grieves of innovative tech platform Beam, CEO of Jigsaw Education Group Sanjeev Baga, and Ground+Air’s Jim Brown.
Co-designed with Durham University’s Venture Lab, Ignite hosted webinars to support entrants with invaluable insights into the application and judging process. Each of the six shortlisted finalists received pitching support, personalised coaching sessions and brand storytelling advice from Cambio Consultancy’s Peter Ptashko. Event sponsors Mathys & Squire provided the event space and is guiding the enterprising companies in approaching Intellectual Property to secure protection for valuable brands, technical innovations and design rights.
For more information about Ignite and to express interest in getting involved with next year’s event, please visit ignitecomp.co.uk. In the three years since inception, the Ford Family Foundation has provided over £1,000,000 in funding across the charitable and social enterprise sectors.
