MidTECH

What MidTECH does

MidTECH Innovations is the NHS Innovation Hub for the West Midlands, operating as a regional technology transfer office hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and established by the Department of Health. The organisation functions as a partner of the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN) and provides idea assessment, intellectual property protection (patents, trademarks, designs, copyright), commercialisation strategy, strategic partnership facilitation, funding access (SBRI, NIHR i4i, Innovate UK, Wellcome Trust), training, and internal strategy services exclusively to NHS organisations and staff across the West Midlands — a region comprising six integrated care systems and approximately 6.2 million people. Since April 2019, all MidTECH services have been provided free of charge, removing a prior membership fee model and broadening access across the region's NHS trusts.

The core service is non-ratable, advisory in nature, and delivered through a small team of specialist Innovation Managers (including Senior Innovation Manager James Turner, Innovation Managers Ryan Brown and Bethany, and Business and Marketing Support Administrator Amardeep Kaur) via on-site trust visits, online sessions via Microsoft Teams, IP masterclasses, the Meridian innovation exchange platform, newsletters, expert IP blogs, and dedicated project engagement. Annual throughput has been steady: 70 new disclosures in 2019-20, 76 disclosures and 154 NDAs in 2022-23, and 70+ disclosures in 2023-24. MidTECH has supported commercialisation of notable NHS-developed innovations including BSOTS (maternity triage, expanded to Australia), W8Buddy (digital weight management), SpeakUp app (staff concern reporting), BESTIE (mental health platform for young people), Volunteer Platform: WAHT Edition (clinical trial software), AerosolShield (COVID-19 protective device), SNAPe-i (nasendoscopy port), and the West Midlands Secure Data Environment.

The business model is structurally distinct from a commercial enterprise: MidTECH generates no fee revenue and operates as part of the UK public healthcare infrastructure, funded through NHS and government sources via WMAHSN. Its role is facilitative — supporting NHS staff innovators and NHS trusts in identifying, protecting, and commercialising their innovations, and brokering partnerships with SMEs (Being Guided, Marsden, Endoscope-I, DDM Health, Future Workshops, Neotherix, Keighleycolo) and industry partners, including IP attorney firms (Marks & Clerk, Forresters, Vault IP, Appleyard Lees, HGF) and Mercia Fund Management/Asset Management. The NHS-SME Innovation Fund (2019) and SME Health Innovation Fund (2020) are facilitative funding vehicles in which MidTECH participates rather than revenue-generating activities.

Name

MidTECH

Legal name

MidTECH Innovations

Website

https://midtech.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MidTECH Innovations is the NHS Innovation Hub and technology transfer office for the West Midlands, providing free IP protection, commercialisation, and funding support services to NHS trusts and staff across a region of 6.2 million people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Innovation Services

NAICS

All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG)

Keywords

• NHS innovation hub
• Technology transfer services
• Healthcare IP protection
• Innovation commercialization
• Medical technology consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free services to NHS organisations: MidTECH provides all its innovation hub services (idea assessment, IP protection, commercialisation, strategic partnerships, funding, training, internal strategy) free of charge to NHS organisations across the West Midlands. Services are funded through its status as a partner organisation of the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network, established by the Department of Health.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MidTECH is the NHS Innovation Hub for the West Midlands, providing free technology transfer and innovation commercialisation services to NHS organisations and their staff. It assesses ideas, protects intellectual property, supports commercialisation, and connects innovators with strategic partners and funding within the NHS and healthcare sector.

Product overview

MidTECH is the NHS Innovation Hub for the West Midlands, operating as a technology transfer office rather than a software product company. Its core offering consists of advisory and support services including idea assessment, intellectual property protection, commercialisation, strategic partnerships facilitation, funding guidance, internal strategy development, and training. These services are delivered through engagement with NHS organisations across the region at no membership cost. In supporting NHS innovation commercialisation, MidTECH has been involved with various digital health projects including the West Midlands Secure Data Environment, the Volunteer Platform (clinical trial software), the SpeakUp app for staff concern reporting, the W8Buddy digital weight management platform, and the BESTIE mental health app. Additionally, the organisation provides knowledge resources through expert IP blogs and delivers IP masterclass training sessions to NHS staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Idea Assessment Service Free service for NHS organisations and staff to evaluate the commercial potential of an innovation or idea generated within the NHS.
• Intellectual Property Protection Guidance and support for protecting intellectual property arising from NHS innovations, including patents and other IP mechanisms.
• Commercialisation Support Support for taking NHS-originated innovations to market, including licensing, spin-out, and route-to-market planning.
• Strategic Partnerships Service Connecting NHS innovators with industry partners, investors, and other strategic collaborators to accelerate innovation development.
• Funding Assistance Helping NHS organisations and staff identify and access grant and investment funding for innovative projects.
• Innovation Training Training programmes for NHS staff on innovation processes, technology transfer, and commercialisation pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 new disclosures received in 2023-24 financial year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, major and core.

• Forresters (patent attorneys)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Forresters provided IP strategy support in collaboration with MidTECH for the AerosolShield innovation. MidTECH co-invested alongside Mercia Asset Management to help develop and implement an IP strategy with Forresters for this COVID-19 protective device.
• University of Birmingham (AerosolShield co-innovators)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AerosolShield was designed by Matthew Campbell-Hill (Senior Fellow at University of Birmingham), Dr Egidio da Silva (Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS FT), Dr Lydia Campbell-Hill (GP), Dr Mark Reeves (MRA Technology Ltd), and Dr Richard Williams (Birmingham Healthcare Technologies Institute). MidTECH supported IP strategy and Mercia investment.
• Neotherix Ltd and Keighleycolo LtdsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Neotherix Ltd (SME) and Keighleycolo Ltd (SME) were partners in the £1m NIHR i4i Seton-Scaffold project led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, with University of Birmingham, supported by MidTECH.
• West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidTECH is a partner organisation of the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network. Operating via WMAHSN from April 2019, MidTECH's services became free and accessible to all NHS organisations across the West Midlands. WMAHSN provides the overarching network infrastructure, and MidTECH represents the NHS innovation hub within this ecosystem.
• Being GuidedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeing Guided co-developed The Volunteer Platform with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, creating clinical trial software from an initial COVID-19 workforce management tool. MidTECH facilitated the partnership, negotiated the collaboration agreement, and drafted NDAs to protect NHS IP interests.
• Marsden (medical weighing equipment manufacturer)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarsden partnered with Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, facilitated by MidTECH, to develop and manufacture community weighing scales designed for community dietitians — lighter, easier to transport, and suitable for use in patients' homes.
• Endoscope-ImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndoscope-I, founded by ENT surgeons from University Hospitals North Midlands and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, developed the SNAPe-i device (a resealable port in surgical masks for safe nasendoscopy during COVID-19). MidTECH provided critical IP input, negotiated fair IP apportioning between the NHS surgeons and Endoscope-I, and enabled ambitious project timelines.
• DDM Health LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDM Health collaborated with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to develop W8Buddy — a digital weight management platform. MidTECH facilitated commercial negotiations, drafted legal agreements, and protected UHCW's IP and financial interests in the partnership.
• Future Workshops LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Workshops developed the SpeakUp app prototype for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust using App Rail prototyping software. MidTECH supported the project through IP protection, commercial negotiations, and contractual agreements safeguarding UHCW's interests.
• Medilink West MidlandssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedilink West Midlands was identified by MidTECH as a potential co-development partner for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust on The Volunteer Platform project.
• University of BirminghamsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Birmingham collaborated with NHS trusts on multiple MidTECH-supported projects including the BSOTS maternity triage system (with Birmingham Women's Hospital) and the Seton-Scaffold device project (with UHB).
• Clinical Research Network West MidlandssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidTECH facilitated discussions under NDA between Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Being Guided with the Clinical Research Network West Midlands for wider regional support of The Volunteer Platform clinical trial software.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• King's Health Partners: London-based academic-health science centre bringing together NHS trusts and a university for healthcare innovation. Comparable to MidTECH as a regional NHS-academic partnership providing innovation and technology transfer support to NHS staff.
• Eastern Academic Health Science Network: AHSN covering the East of England that supports innovation adoption across NHS trusts. Comparable to MidTECH in providing regional NHS innovation support, IP guidance, and commercialisation services to NHS organisations within its territory.
• Health Innovation Manchester: Manchester-based NHS innovation hub driving adoption of innovation across Greater Manchester's health and care system. Comparable to MidTECH as a regional NHS innovation hub providing similar technology transfer, IP advice, and commercialisation support to NHS organisations.
• West of England Academic Health Science Network: West of England AHSN supporting healthcare innovation across its region. Comparable to MidTECH as a regional NHS innovation partnership offering IP, funding, and commercialisation support to NHS trusts.
• Imperial College Health Partners: London-based partnership that connects NHS trusts with academic and industry partners to accelerate healthcare innovation. Directly comparable to MidTECH as a regional NHS innovation partnership delivering technology transfer, IP support, and commercialisation services to NHS trusts.
• Health Innovation Network (South London): South London AHSN supporting innovation across the NHS. Comparable to MidTECH as a regional NHS innovation hub with similar technology transfer, IP advice, and commercialisation support functions.
• UCL Partners: London-based academic-NHS partnership focused on translating research into healthcare innovation. Comparable to MidTECH in acting as a regional NHS innovation hub supporting staff to identify, protect, and commercialise innovations.

Broad incumbents

• West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN): Wider West Midlands AHSN of which MidTECH is a partner organisation. MidTECH operates as the dedicated NHS technology-transfer function within WMAHSN's broader innovation, adoption, and industry-connection remit.
• NHS Innovation Accelerator: National NHS England programme that accelerates the spread of evidence-based innovations across the NHS. Comparable to MidTECH in addressing NHS innovation uptake but operating nationally across multiple regions rather than as a regional TTO.

Others

• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR): UK government agency funding clinical research and providing innovation infrastructure. Comparable to MidTECH as a key NHS innovation ecosystem partner and primary funding route (NIHR i4i) for the projects MidTECH supports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MidTECH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midtech-innovations
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MidTECH