Slaughter and May Announces Fast Forward Cohort Four

Slaughter and May today announces the five successful businesses selected to be part of the latest cohort of the firm’s emerging tech entrepreneur’s programme, Fast Forward.

Emphasising the firm’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs developing emerging technology businesses, the fourth iteration of the programme will offer each cohort member £30,000 of value-add services including legal advice.

The five businesses, selected from a diverse pool of applicants, were chosen for their innovative approach, their point of difference in their respective markets, and the strength of their ambition.

The businesses in the new cohort are:

Percayso

Percayso Inform provides a data hub to insurers which takes in a wide variety of predictive datasets to inform insurance pricing and identify fraud. Percayso gathers data from sources including claims, credit behaviour and Open Banking data which it then cleans, evaluates, combines and models to predict insurance outcomes such as likelihood to claim, cancel or commit fraud.

Artha Health

Artha Health creates new therapies for chronic disorders and is the world's first neuromodulation focused startup studio. It is seeking to develop miniaturized devices, implanted via a minimally invasive surgery or same-day keyhole procedure that modulate the electrical signalling in the nerves.

Novus World

Novus is the next generation digital bank and lifestyle app for those who want to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Novus will create a positive impact for its members and the world around them with every interaction.

Axis Workshops

Axis is a web-based application for workshop and meeting facilitation which enables the creation of structured workshops. Participants can create content, vote and score through their smart phone. Everything is captured digitally with no-write-up needed and instant action list outputs.

Uncapped

Uncapped is a financing solution for European startups & SMEs, providing growth capital of between £10-£2m without interest, equity, warrants or personal guarantees.

Fast Forward 2020 opened for applications in July this year. Partner and Fast Forward co-lead Rob Sumroy explains, “In each Fast Forward cohort we’ve sought out the best, brightest and most innovative businesses. All five of our chosen cohort members have incredible potential. An organisation like Axis Workshops, with its smart remote meetings functionality, is a tool we could see many businesses using, particularly given the changing working practices we are all now observing and experiencing. Uncapped has similarly thrived against the backdrop of the pandemic by providing support and capital to SMEs and completing an impressive fundraise just this month. It is exciting for us to help businesses such as these grow and succeed.”

Partner and Fast Forward co-lead Ben Kingsley continues, “We received many high-quality applications, and the entrepreneurial talent of those we have selected really shone through. We’re really looking forward to working with businesses like Novus, with such a strong sustainability focus, and Artha Health and Percayso, pushing boundaries in healthtech and data analytics. Our diverse cohort is testament to the pioneering and inventive mind-set of the current generation of entrepreneurs, and I am pleased that we are able to support each of them at this key stage of their development.”