QV Bioelectronics, based in Manchester, has been announced as the regional winner of the Super Connect for Good competition run by Hays, the recruiting experts, and global super connectors Empact Ventures.
The competition recognises QV Bioelectronics as the best emerging tech start up in the North of England that brings positive social change and enhances people’s lives through technology. It is one of eight regional winners across the UK and Ireland.
QV Bioelectronics is pioneering an implanted electrotherapy device to treat brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer in those under the age of 40. Even after going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, many patients are given less than a year to live and five-year survival rates are less than 5%.
The only electrotherapy device currently available requires patients to wear the device for a minimum of 18 hours a day, which is unfeasible for many patients thus compromising their treatment. The device being developed by QV Bioelectronics is completely internal and delivers 24/7 treatment which is pain and side-effect free.
Emerging data suggests that it has the potential to increase 5-year survival rates of brain tumour patients from 5% to 28%.
Coming second place for the competition in the region was CurveBlock and Tootoot came third. Each regional winner will receive £4,000 worth of prizes, including online training with Hays Rise, free legal advice from Linkilaw and 10 super connections from Empact Ventures, among a variety of other benefits.
Qasim Akhtar, Business Development Officer at QV Bioelectronics, spoke of the achievement: “We’re ecstatic to have been awarded regional winners for the North. Our implant is designed to treat patients with the most common primary brain tumour glioblastoma, a deadly cancer that has been overlooked for decades, whilst the survival rate for other cancers has raced ahead. At QV Bioelectronics, our purpose is to create long-lasting social impact by making our innovative therapy accessible to glioblastoma patients internationally. We are incredibly appreciative that the Superconnect for Good judges saw the value in what we’re developing by awarding us 1st place in the North.”
Zjak Grobbelaar, Business Director at Hays and one of the judges for the competition, commented: “We were blown out the park with the quality of applications received. It’s exciting to see that the North is producing such exceptional tech and digital start ups which use technology to improve the lives of people around us. It was a very close call, but congratulations to top-scoring QV Bioelectronics which came out victorious in the end. Their product is simply next level! We look forward to hearing more about the good work they are doing.”
Kosta Mavroulakis, Founder & CEO, Empact Ventures, commented: “It was fantastic to receive such high quality applications from across the North and we thank our regional judges from Hays, TUSPark Newcastle, RedFlag Alert and CityFibre for volunteering their time. QV Bioelectronics deserved their place as the regional winner for the highly impactful work they are doing right now.”
James Wilson, CTO at Red Flag Alert and one of the regional judges for the North comments: “I was lucky enough to be asked, as part of the Northern Panel, to judge the 2020 Super Connect for Good start-up competition. The start-up that I voted first, and won the Northern round, was QV Bioelectronics; a BioTech company that is optimising the efficacy of an electrotherapy device for the purpose of treating brain tumours. Barriers that QVB have had to overcome include; the cost of equipment, the ergonomics of the equipment, the stability and robustness, and its overall practicality. In under 40s, patients are typically given a year to live from diagnosis. QVB aims to enable 28% of patients to live at least five years, and do this with a meaningful quality of life. I felt this start-up had the best blend of innovation and its impact for good.”
