A medical technology start-up that uses soothing music to help patients combat pain and anxiety is to scale up after securing investment worth £1.2 million.
MediMusic launched in Hull last year, attracting national interest when its artificial intelligence-compiled playlists were proven to ease stress for dementia patients in NHS trials. It works via an app and streaming service, with the technology targeted at hospitals, dental surgeries and care homes to help manage chronic pain or support patients before and after operations.
A £200,000 seedcorn investment from Finance Yorkshire is supported by investment from University of Hull and fellow C4DI business Sauce Consultants Ltd, with the balance coming from private investors.
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MediMusic chief executive and co-founder Gary Jones is an entrepreneur with 30 years’ experience in content management and music. He has spent seven years developing the business and the streaming platform.
He said: “This investment will take MediMusic to the next level. We passionately believe this will be a real game-changer in how we treat dementia patients and people suffering from pain, anxiety and stress.
“MediMusic has managed to digitally fingerprint the DNA of music so we can deliver the right songs as medicine. You could say it’s a musical pharmaceutical. Our initial clinical trials prove it has a very encouraging future in the treatment of patients.”
As reported, work with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust found the use of MediMusic led to a reduction in heart rate of up to 22 per cent in patients with dementia during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alex McWhirter, chief executive of Finance Yorkshire, said: “MediMusic has developed highly innovative healthcare technology that could transform the way we treat people.
“Our new fund is designed to support innovative and disruptive start-ups like MediMusic to scale up, realise their potential and create jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber. We look forward to supporting the MediMusic team on the next stage of this exciting journey.”
Finance Yorkshire’s new fund is expected to provide £50 million to SMEs over five years. It has been structured to provide a range of support through seedcorn and growth funds, equity investments and loans.
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