Eight social tech ventures land backing from Nominet Trust

Eight early-stage social technology projects have received financial backing from Nominet Trust’s Social Tech Seed funding programme.

A total of £374,736 has been awarded from the fund, which supports projects tackling issues such as environment and sustainability, the justice system, education, employment and medicine. To date, it has supported 40 organisations through six cohorts.

The ventures will use the grant and support package to help develop digital technology solutions that improve the lives of others and tackle social challenges.

The eight operations are:

• Disrupt Disability – an online platform of open source wheelchair designs enabling people to access, create and adapt components to suit their specific needs
• media co-op’s – recording app designed to help victims log stalking incidents to improve their sense of control and the chances of a successful prosecution
• TapSOS Ltd – a nonverbal method of contacting emergency services for people who have hearing impairments, speech impediments, breathing difficulties or are victims of domestic violence
• Corporation Pop – a Patient’s Virtual Guide that uses augmented reality to allow younger patients to explore what they expect to happen to them in hospital
• Neurofenix’s – games and social networking to aid the rehabilitation of stroke survivors
• Tiny Medical Apps – an app that aims to encourage teenagers to stick to their Personalised Asthma Action Plans
• Mapmyhealth – helps diabetes patients understand , engage with and self-manage their condition
• Just: Transcription – an automated speech-to-text service that produces “fast, accurate and cost effective” court transcripts

Vicki Hearn, director of Nominet Trust, said: “The UK has a burgeoning social tech sector, but access to funding for start-ups at the very early stages of their development remains limited – yet this is crucial to enable social innovators to test their ideas and unlock the potential of digital tech to improve lives.

“Nominet Trust is proud to support these eight new ventures via our Social Tech Seed programme, which has been hugely successful in kick-starting dozens of similarly exciting new projects. We’re looking forward to seeing how they develop.”