Emerging Technologies Competition 2023 finalists

New Wave Biotech develops process optimisation software to help synthetic biology products get to market quicker, cheaper and faster. Using computational modelling, their software optimises downstream processes for biomanufacturing, accelerating R&D and reducing final production costs of alternative proteins and other synthetic biology products.

Polykey has developed innovative sustainable routes for the synthesis of polyether-polyols through a polycondensation reaction. Employing an innovative catalytic system, the polycondensation of diols was possible, resulting in a wide range of polyether-polyols with different properties. The synthesis approach was extended to the preparation of value-added copolymers from different functionalities.

Ignota Labs is a PharmaTech developing innovative data-driven tools to disrupt the discovery toxicology market. TOXSCAPE, a suite of AI-driven toxicity prediction and optimisation tools, enables early-stage drug discovery scientists to identify and understand safety liabilities at scale, which is not possible with traditional methods, making drug discovery more efficient.

Symbiotex has developed a plug-and-play solution displacing fossil fuels with our patent pending bio-based and home-compostable pellets. We aim to license our seaweed-based (a natural carbon sequester) thermoplastic-like pellets to Tier 1 manufactures to produce home-compostable class 1 medical devices and cosmetic pots.

The University of Nottingham's continuous-flow Vortex Reactor provides access to Photo-/Electro- and Thermal chemistries in single or linked reactors. The Reactor decouples residence-time from mixing efficacy delivering high-productivity, simple operation and scale-up. The Reactor is capable of Gram-to-10 Kilo Scale production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and fine chemicals in a small footprint reactor.

Few reaction monitoring tools can be used on both small and large scales. Kineticolor provides a camera-enabled non-contact process analytical tool that can provide time-resolved insights on reaction bulk. This tool complements the established suite of molecularly-specific analytics (mainly in situ probes) used to analyse small- and manufacturing-scale reaction systems.

Arkenlight’s tritium diamond betavoltaic harnesses nuclear energy from the decay of tritium. Beta decay particles, from the infused tritium, interact with the diamond carbon crystal lattice creating an energetic cascade of electron hole-pairs which are then harvested by the diamond diode to generate a battery output.

Clyde Hydrogen Systems have developed a new method for producing hydrogen from water using renewable energy. The technology relies on decoupled electrolysis, discovered at the University of Glasgow, and allows high pressure hydrogen to be generated with improved safety and lower loadings of scarce precious metal catalysts compared to conventional approaches.

Lambda’s greenhouse coatings increase the amount of red light available to plants, thereby increasing crop yield, yet they require no electricity. Enabling farmers to increase production by 20% or more means that more food can be grown domestically, which both reduces the carbon footprint of agriculture and improves food security.

Ammonia production is critical to life on earth and the most polluting chemical industrial production process on the planet. Nium's technology eliminates emissions in Ammonia production.

The University of Cambridge has developed a new cathode material to enable high energy-density to weight and long-life lithium-sulfur batteries. This allows electrification of current weight-critical technologies, and opens up new applications such as powered flight, previously inaccessible due to poor energy to weight ratio solutions. This will facilitate the net-zero transition.

Bindethics has developed innovative food waste-derived Bio-adhesives to replace formaldehyde-based glues used to make engineered-wood products such as furniture. Formaldehyde-based adhesives, the industry standard, are toxic, carcinogenic, and the reason why wood panels are not recyclable. Our sustainable solution, not derived from fossil fuels, reduces the CO₂ footprint by 86%.

Lignovations manufactures multifunctional ingredients from the biomass component lignin. Their products can replace fossil-based ingredients, such as UV filters, antioxidants and waterproofing agents in many applications. With their patented technology they enable manufacturers of cosmetics, coatings, and packaging to make their products healthier and more sustainable.

Mode Labs optical microcavity technology provides a 10,000-fold enhancement to chemical absorption signals, enabling robust miniaturised field-deployable sensors. They provide a low-cost, portable, real-time method for quantifying pollutants in natural waterways. Their sensors are easy-to-deploy and significantly more scalable than existing approaches, allowing for targeted intervention, improved regulatory compliance, and improved environmental outcomes.

NovNat Ltd have developed a novel Metal-Organic-Framework (MOF) material to enable an industrial-scale atmospheric water generation (AWG) system. Their state-of-the-art system exclusively captures only water from the air, functioning as a 'nano-scale selective sponge' producing high-quality drinking water in virtually any location around the world enabling a distributed standalone water supply.

PheroSyn has unlocked the synthesis of structurally complex insect pheromones using green synthetic chemistry production routes, for natural crop protection from harmful pests. These new, unavailable insect pheromones are deployed as part of an integrated pest management strategy to reduce reliance on pesticide application and target biological control methods.

ReCon² Limited have developed a method to quantify the amount of post-consumer recycled content in plastics and packaging. The simple technology uses chemical auditing of fluorescent additives and is equally adept at quantifying chemically and mechanically recycled content to support both a TrustMark scheme and the Plastic Packaging Tax.

Apeikon Therapeutics has developed innovative lipid-based nanoparticles responding to external stimuli. When injected into the body they are tracked with imaging and they respond to non-invasive external stimuli such as ultrasound and microwave by the sharp release or propulsion of the drug content in the surrounding cells.

Durham University have invented a portable, fast, precise and non-invasive sensor for quantifying acetone, a compound in breath that reflects the body's fat-burning activity. The technology has applications in:

• sports science
• dieting
• the diagnosis of Type-I diabetes
• hyperinsulinism
• phenylketonuria
• informing the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis and epilepsy.

NIQS Tech (Leeds) Limited have developed the next generation of optical sensors. Their user-friendly, accurate sensors can measure glucose levels without drawing blood or breaking the skin barrier. Their approach provides real- time measurements simply by touching the sensor with your finger. Ultimately, enabling easier measurements will lead to more effective diabetes management.

Halogenation imparts molecular X-factor: enhanced bioactivity/bioavalability and the ability to build complex molecules. X-Genix Ltd technology enables precision molecular editing, even of complex molecules. It gives direct access to chemical space that is hard to access with existing technologies. The technology uses sustainable enzymes and non-toxic salts.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death worldwide. However, TBI is hard to diagnose at the point of injury. Institute of Healthcare Technologies are developing a portable, hand-held device to non-invasively, rapidly diagnose patients at the point-of-care, including at the roadside, at the battlefield or on the pitch side to assess concussion in sport.

Renovos is pioneering nanoclay gels for tissue regeneration. Nanoclay can be applied in a minimally-invasive way, remains precisely where injected as it self-sets in tissue, and accelerates healing by retaining therapeutics, offering a step-change in their safety and effectiveness, by forming stable microenvironments that attract stem cells and stimulate repair.