While every startup that we interview is truly innovative, we have finally managed to whittle down our top 10 startups of the year!  

BrainPatch

BrainPatch is a neurotech startup that was founded in 2018 by Dr Nickolai Vysokov and Dauren Toleukhanov. The startup specialises in developing safe and effective neurotechnology that is accessible to a wide audience. BrainPatch focuses on non-invasive neurostimulation, with the aim of unlocking the hidden potential of the human brain.

The e-meditation device looks like a normal set of headphones. However, this patented neurotechnology solution delivers a meditative, quickly calming, and stress-relieving state of mind by sending small, non-invasive electrical currents to the brain, via the skin behind the ear. The headset is controlled by an app which has a plethora of stimulation options to choose from. The wearer can select anything from meditation to movement manipulation. The stimulation itself is activated by a simple stop or play button, and the strength of the application is controlled by strength settings.

“The potential for this technology is, essentially, to make people happy. That’s what we're working towards; whether it's stress, anxiety, or other mental wellbeing issues, we want to make people and those around them happy,” said Nickolai Vysokov, Neuroscientist, Founder, and CEO of BrainPatch, when talking to Startups Magazine.   

Cactos

Cactos is a Finnish Greentech startup, that build, own, and operate an aggregated smart battery energy storage system using recycled electric vehicle batteries. It then leases the individual units to its clients for a monthly fee. The units are operated by a Cactos proprietary cloud computing service which utilises AI to allocate each unit the optimal service mode. This is tailored to the individual unit and based on grid level and local inputs.

It was Oskari Jaakkola, Co-Founder and CEO of Cactos, involvement with wind park transactions that first spurred the idea for Cactos. He commented in an interview with Startups Magazine: “In my previous career I was also involved with wind park transactions and the sheer volume of transactions made me think about the temporal imbalance in production and consumption of electricity that they would induce.”

FlowSense

FlowSense is the world’s first accessible period blood detection device for visually impaired women, and helps them manage and track their cycle, as well as provide information about their general health. In the UK, there are around two million people with sight loss, and around 60% of these are women. In the current market, only two in five feminine hygiene products have any form of accessibility features. FlowSense was founded to fill this gap in the market to ensure menstrual hygiene can be an independent task for visually impaired women.

Muna Daud is the Founder of FlowSense. The inspiration for the startup came when Daud realised how inaccessible regular pregnancy tests are. She then began researching other areas where this was an issue, and after much research, realised that visually impaired woman had a hard time managing their menstrual cycles, which birthed the idea for FlowSense.  

Koalaa

Koalaa creates soft prosthetics, which in the prosthetics industry, is an innovative type of prosthetic arm, which has been designed for adults and children with below-elbow limb differences. Unlike traditional prosthetics, Koalaa offers a lightweight, comfortable solution, designed so individuals don’t have to miss out on the things they love, whilst also making everyday tasks easier. Made from machine-washable fabric, the soft prosthetics are easy to wear and once in place, a range of tool attachments can be fitted.

Commenting on the startup, Founder Nate Macabuag said: “If you have an idea in your head where you want to be the world first at something, an easy place to look is assisted technology. Recycle what already exists, because chances are it hasn’t been reimagined in a long time, if not ever.”

During his master’s degree project, Macabuag had a pivotal encounter with Alex Lewis, a quadruple amputee, which shaped his understanding of the needs of individuals with limb differences. It was through this interaction that he realised the importance of comfort, ease of use, and accessibility in prosthetic design. This experience set the founder on a path to revolutionise prosthetics, marking the beginning of his journey towards redefining these vital aids.

MAGIC AI

MAGIC AI is the UK’s first personal trainer that uses AI to track and train its users. It corrects posture, gives real-time feedback and stats, and includes training secrets from celebrity athletes – all within a mirror.

Varun Bhanot, the Co-Founder, embarked on the creation of MAGIC AI driven by his own needs. Unrecognised to him at the time, the seeds of this concept were already being sown during his tenure as a founding member of an earlier tech startup.

When discussing the journey with Startups Magazine, Bhanot commented: “Growing the previous team from founding to scaleup was a stressful experience. I ended up putting on a lot of weight, and I let go of my health. I’d never been to a gym before, and I didn’t know how to use a dumbbell properly. So, I enrolled in a personal training programme … This was a big turning point for me.

“I realised there could be a way to automate and personalise this experience, but to do it for people at scale and on demand within their own homes … which led us to start working on the MAGIC product.”

Nodum

Nodum is on a journey to find ways of increasing the uptake of electric vehicles in the British environment and doing so by making electric vehicle charging more accessible to the average, everyday customer. 

In Founder and CEO Ben MacDonald’s own words, Nodum’s flagship product, the Charge Bridge, is “a solution that’s seeking to give people who live in houses, or we've got a product that's looking at flats and apartments as well, but initially terraced homes, the ability to charge their car when their vehicle is on the street. So essentially, it forms a demountable gantry across a pavement or a garden.”

The idea for the product was born in 2016, when MacDonald wanted to buy an electric car but the charging landscape in London at the time was poor, with very few places you could charge an electric vehicle on the street. From this, he fashioned something in his own back garden that would allow him to own an electric vehicle with the peace of mind that he would be able to keep it charged.

Oxa

Oxa, previously known as Oxbotica, is an autonomous vehicle software startup. The company has been a pioneer in the field of autonomous vehicles since its inception. The company's primary focus is on developing software that enables any vehicle to achieve self-driving capability, in any environment and at any time, without relying on external infrastructure like GPS.

Oxa's software is vehicle and platform-agnostic, meaning it can be deployed in various environments and on different terrains. This flexibility makes the technology useful not only in urban settings with tall buildings that obstruct GPS signals but also off-road in scenarios such as airports, warehouses, and solar farms helping businesses to improve safety, reduce operational costs and ease supply chain issues

Ben Upcroft, Vice President of Technology at Oxa commented: “Oxa originally came out of the need, we think, for a software platform that enables other industries to take advantage of autonomy. We call it ‘Universal Autonomy.’

““Right from the early days, when we were just a few engineers, we had that vision of ‘Universal Autonomy,’ and we’ve continued that vision for the entire journey of Oxa – and now we’re deploying systems into different sectors across the world.”

Robotical

Robotical is an edtech startup based in Edinburgh. The company makes educational robots with the aim of inspiring and engaging the next generation of engineers and scientists. Its flagship product, Marty the Robot, is a walking, talking robot, that is customisable and upgradable.

Marty the Robot is designed to make learning about computer science and coding a fun and engaging experience. From introducing screen-free programming in pre-school, right through to university, Marty is a flexible learning tool that grows with students. Marty teaches children to code, beginning with more simple software, like Scratch, then progressing to more advanced languages like Python or JavaScript. 

Founder Dr Alexander Enoch completed a PhD in Robotics and not too long after, set up Robotical. His main inspiration for Marty the Robot was his niece, who was around six years old at the time. Enoch wanted to create a human-like robot, full of character, that she could use to make learning the basics of coding more like child’s play and less like hard work. So, putting his skills to use, he designed and built Marty V1 from scratch.

Scentient

Scentient is a startup focused on developing technology that will incorporate the sense of smell into the VR experience.

One of its key products is The Escents, a wearable device designed to work in tandem with VR/AR content to create an extra layer of immersion. The device is wireless and independent from VR headsets, allowing for easy integration with various immersive infrastructures.

Police, firefighters, and the army have been some of the earliest institutionalised adopters of simulation and VR experiences to train staff. This is where Scentient sees as it’s place to improve. In an interview with Startups Magazine, Founder Anastasia Georgievskaya mentioned: “Adding smell to the trainees simulated VR training, I think, is essential. It allows the recreation of scenarios that were not otherwise possible with traditional VR; for instance, introducing a gas leak in a firefighter VR training so they can acquaint themselves with the smell, or a foul odour for a paramedic, who can condition their flight or fight response to it and push through.”

Womco

Womco, a B2B data-driven nutrition and testing app driving the change for better hormonal health in women through a personalised nutrition platform. The startup aims to help women navigate hormonal challenges from fertility until menopause.  

Founder, Annabel de Gheldere, was inspired to begin the business due to her own struggles with hormonal health issues.

In an interview with Startups Magazine, de Gheldere commented: “With Womco, we’re creating this tool that combines not only nutrition, but also testing and consultations. Womco is specifically dedicated for women in the workplace. So instead of having a B2C approach, we have noticed how hormonal health really affects women in their performance and productivity at work, so much that employers are looking for better solutions to support female employees.”

What has 2024 got in store?

With six issues of Startups Magazine coming out in 2024, the team here at Startups Magazine are sure to be interviewing a whole host of innovative startups.

The upcoming issue of the magazine will focus on spacetech startups, so be prepared to get blown away!