Welsh medtech firm awarded Welsh and UK government grants to aid Covid-19 test development
Leading Welsh medtech firm Bond Digital Health has received more than £200,000 in government grants to help it develop its connectivity and data platform for a new Covid-19 test.
The Cardiff-based company was awarded two major grants in the space of a month for its innovative Transform technology – £177,979 from the Welsh Government and £49,796 from Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency.
Bond is part of an international consortium that is producing a new diagnostic test for patients suspected of having Covid-19. The company is adding its digital connectivity to the lateral flow antigen test to allow valuable data to be securely captured, stored, analysed and shared in real time. This could allow authorities to monitor the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bond applied for the grants to help support the ongoing development of Transform to meet the particular requirements of the new test. The Welsh Government provided funding through its COVID RD&I support scheme, while Innovate UK awarded funding through its Business-led Innovation in Response to Global Disruption competition.
Phil Groom, Commercial Director of Bond Digital Health, said: “These two grants represent a huge vote of confidence in our business and our technology from both the Welsh and UK governments.
“We are proud to be part of an international consortium whose test will make such a difference in this pandemic and even more proud to be flying the flag for Welsh technology and talent on the global stage.”
Earlier this year Bond received equity funding totalling £700,000 from Development Bank of Wales and Wealth Club, the high net worth investment service, to expand the technology team and to speed up development.
