Five star North West tech startups selected for business growth scheme The five pioneering companies have been selected for an exclusive growth scheme at Sci-Tech Daresbury, one of the biggest science and innovation hubs in the north west. Written by Helena Young Published on 1 February 2022 Our experts We are a team of writers, experimenters and researchers providing you with the best advice with zero bias or partiality. Written and reviewed by: Helena Young Lead Writer The pandemic has completely altered the way that many businesses work, causing modern businesses to rethink the benefits, training and office facilities that they need to offer staff.In light of this, our Business Ideas for 2022 campaign highlighted New Ways of Working as one of a number of major emerging trends that are shaping business practices this year.Now, five North West-based startups that are making waves in the space have been selected for an exclusive business growth scheme, The Future Club – Start Ups for Success.Launched in 2021, the Science and innovation campus Sci-Tech Daresbury, which is based in Liverpool City Region, has unveiled the second cohort of the programme.The Future Club provides a range of technical and business support to innovative science and technology startups and will help each business to realise its growth potential.This year’s Future Club group was chosen in recognition of their significant business potential in developing products and services to meet emerging technological, environmental and social needs.Together, they demonstrate various ingenuitive solutions that will help businesses and their employees to adapt to today’s new world of working. John Downes, chief executive of Langtree and chairman of Sci-Tech Daresbury, said: “The Future Club is designed to give the most exciting start-ups and entrepreneurs in the North West the support they need in order to take their businesses to the next level.“I’ve no doubt that the connections made, and ideas shared during their membership of the Future Club will be pivotal in these five businesses achieving their potential in years to come.” Who are the Future Club’s new members?Post-Covid, a new emphasis on health and wellbeing has entered the workplace, as today’s HR departments work to ensure employees are being properly supported and have a healthy work-life balance.Earlier this year, we reported on a survey conducted by workspace facilitator Reed, which found that one in 5 (19%) employees said mental health support was important to them in a potential employer.Lyfe is a new Future Club member that helps businesses combat the problem. The simple app and online platform aims to help its customers integrate a healthy lifestyle into their schedules more easily, and counts the NHS, and KPMG among its clients.But the new era of flexible, remote working has also brought about more practical challenges for businesses, including an increased threat to cybersecurity. In fact, according to Carbon Black reports, 88% of companies globally suffered security breaches last year.New Future Club member PIIstor works to safeguard the use of PII (personal identifiable information) for both people and companies.Similarly, flexible working policies have been driven by concerns around the spread of Covid-19 and other viruses. This has created new demand for proper cleaning and sanitation solutions.Vitaerium helps organisations achieve and maintain safe working environments for their customers and employees by ensuring that the air in their buildings is free from contamination. Martin Moylan, founder of Vitaerium, said: “It is crucial for fast growth businesses to be immersed in an innovative and growth focused ecosystem.“I’m very happy to be on this journey of innovation and enterprise with my fellow Future Club members!” Also included amongst the new companies is Ampode, which uses cutting edge technology to extend the UK growing season and increase yields for horticultural crops, and Metricomm, a new data insight tool for PR and marketing firms. Karen Williams, client director at Metricomm said that the Future Club would help the business to build relationships with people who have experience in growing technology and data-driven businesses.“Attracting investment – and the right kind of investors – is high on our list of priorities, so we’ll be making the most of networking opportunities and the connectivity offered by Sci-Tech Daresbury.” Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags News and Features Written by: Helena Young Lead Writer Helena is Lead Writer at Startups. As resident people and premises expert, she's an authority on topics such as business energy, office and coworking spaces, and project management software. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena also manages the Startups 100 Index and is passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK.