Cambridge’s Healthera among the top 30 tech companies to watch

Healthera connects patients to a network of hundreds of pharmacies and NHS GPs. Using the Healthera app, which is listed on the NHS Digital apps library, patients can order and track their prescriptions, access clinical services, and monitor their medication intake in one digital end-to-end solution.

Healthera is the only Cambridge-based company chosen to join the prestigious Upscale programme, which helps companies to successfully navigate the challenges of growing to the next stage.

The 30 companies that have been selected represent some of the finest early stage talent from across the UK and it is expected that many will successfully grow into the next generation of digital household names. They were chosen from over 100 applications to the programme and will be coached over the next six months by some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs and leading startup founders.

This year a third of the companies making up the cohort are based outside London (up from a quarter last year); 27% of companies have female founders and the startups have average annual revenues of £1.5m.

Quintus Liu, CEO of Healthera, said: “As we are focused on rapidly scaling our team and market penetration across the pharmacy and NHS markets, it’s an especially opportune time to join the Upscale 4.0 cohort of scale-up companies who share the challenges of managing growth.

"In the healthcare sector where we operate, companies are typically known for being resistant to change. We see Upscale as a forum to exchange ideas from different sectors, allowing innovative technology and business best practice to cross industry boundaries and create a greater impact. We see these cross-industry collaborations as a pivotal part of our mission of solving healthcare challenges through bringing digital innovation to local care resources."

Margot James, Minister for Creative and Digital industries, said: “The UK is Europe's undisputed tech hub and much of our success is down to the ambition of fast-growth companies like these. I congratulate all the companies joining Upscale today and the significant potential and innovation they have shown. We are determined to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, and through our Digital and Industrial Strategies we want to see the power of technology change people’s lives for the better.”

Sinead Daly, Mid-stage Programme Lead at Tech Nation, said: “I’m delighted to welcome this year’s companies onto the Upscale programme. As we enter our fourth year, Upscale has built an incredible network of over 100 alumni, who have a wealth of experience to share with the cohort. Our off-site launch event will bring our founders together for the first time and enable us to embed those tight-knit connections upfront, think about what scaling really means and explore how leaders can thrive while managing such rapid growth.”

The prestigious six-month Upscale programme is designed to help fast-growth tech companies to successfully navigate the challenges of growing to the next stage. The challenges that most concern these growing companies include hiring and retaining talent, maintaining culture while scaling and expanding into new markets.