DOCTORS RAISE MORE THAN £1M FOR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE COACHING PLATFORM

Two Oxford doctors who developed a health coaching platform after the untimely death of a colleague have raised more than £1 million in a funding round led by private equity firm Traditum and backed by angel investors.

The funding will enable physiologist and serial entrepreneur Dr Michael Stein and Oxford University’s Professor Chris Butler to develop their Added Health platform.

The Oxford company aims to transform the health of users and prevent illness by providing personalised, a ordable coaching that encourages long-term habit change.

It is the first service of its type to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

The platform uses machine learning to gain deeper insights into users’ health and behaviour and is supported by a team of health coaches and doctors.

It is medically led and based on the latest scientific evidence, say the founders.

Dr Stein previously co-founded clinical algorithms company Map of Medicine, which was sold to Hearst in 2008, and telemedicine platform Doctor Care Anywhere, which floated in 2020. Professor Butler, a Professor of Primary Care at the University of Oxford, is one of the UK’s top academic GPs and an expert in preventative medicine.

The pair came up with the idea in 2019 after their colleague Dr Satish Keshav died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 56.

Dr Stein said: “After Satish’s tragic death at the prime of his life and from a condition that could have been prevented, we resolved to find a way to save lives by helping people improve their overall health before any symptoms arise.”

Audio firm Focusrite buys rival Sonnox for £9.1m

Audio products specialist Focusrite has acquired smaller rival Sonnox for £9.1 million.

High Wycombe-based Focusrite supplies hardware and software to the music industry. Sonnox, based in Finstock, Oxfordshire, designs audio processing software plug-ins for audio engineers.

Focusrite said Sonnox, which was founded by Rod Densham, is a “well-established and acclaimed brand in the audio industry.

“Its range of innovative and award-winning plug-ins are used in a wide range of audio applications including mixing, mastering, live sound, broadcast, TV and film, and even scientific and forensics projects,” the company added.

Sonnox traces its heritage back to the development of the Oxford OXF-R3 digital mixing console, which was installed in major recording studios worldwide, and became widely accepted as the first musical sounding digital console.

Tim Carroll, Focusrite CEO, said: “Sonnox products are globally recognised as best in class, making them a natural fit in our stable, and we are all excited about the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead.”

Sonnox founder, Rod Densham, added: “We believe that by joining Focusrite with their scale, industry expertise, and range of premium brands, we can continue to grow, and deliver innovation and excellence to audio hobbyists and professionals alike.”

Plans submitted to boost Botley Road with major jobs and innovation investment

Developer Mission Street has submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of the DFS and Carpetright site on Oxford’s Botley Road

The specialist developer of research and development facilities plans to invest more than £100 million in a new facility, continuing the transformation of the area into a sustainable, urban innovation district.

The application is for 16,992 sq metres of workspace which will provide ”science in the city” and meet the needs of Oxford’s growing innovation, tech and life science occupiers.

Demand for this type of workspace far outstrips supply with in-town, connected locations much sought after by occupiers in the sector. The site is close to Oxford city centre and within easy reach of Oxford railway station on foot or by bike.