Aergo is a UK-based MedTech SME with a core project team of Sheana Yu (CEO and Project Manager), Elliott Baxter (CTO and Mechanical/ML Engineer), George Waller (Electronics/IoT Engineer), Myriam Irizar Ocina (Design Engineer) and Dr Claire Meagher (Physiotherapist). Staff shortages and accumulated NHS backlogs are causing delays for wheelchair users that require an in-person assessment from an occupational/physical therapist to access specialist equipment like postural support. Around 840K wheelchair users are waiting over three months, and around 180K are waiting over 12 months. Inadequate equipment is compromising the independence and quality of life of millions of wheelchair users. It also results in rapid deterioration of disease and a 40% increased risk of developing pressure injuries, which alone accounts for £3.8M/day in NHS treatment costs. Aergo is developing an AI/IoT-driven postural support (PS) platform that provides effective postural management and pressure injury prevention for wheelchair users. Unlike existing static systems, Aergo's PS platform adapts to diurnal changes in user posture and does not rely on frequent manual equipment maintenance. Unlike existing pressure care devices, Aergo detects and automatically responds to poor spinal alignment and high-pressure build-up. It also offers digital support and remote assistance from clinicians who can use the platform to remotely adjust inflation settings to optimise pressure distribution and postural control. Aergo will improve user independence by 75%, reduce manhandling and enhance seated comfort by 50%.

Aergo has developed the world's first digital postural management platform that tracks, predicts, and prevents musculoskeletal diseases such as chronic lower back pain. The first application of the platform is designed to support wheelchair users who spend on average 8 hours in a seated position. Without adequate equipment to keep wheelchair users in an optimal seated position, they are at risk of the worsening of spinal deformities that lead to organ compression which impacts digestive and respiratory function. For elderly users, pressure ulcers can develop as a result of uneven weight distribution caused by poor posture. Pressure sores cost the NHS £4m per day on treatment due to the complexity of managing an open wound. These diseases are highly preventable if users have access to healthcare support and suited equipment early. COVID-19 has forced wheelchair users into extensive shielding as they are high risk to developing severe il Aergo's postural management platform offers a responsive seating system, Aergo PS, and a cloud-based control and monitoring system to connect users to their clinicians. The Aergo PS uses a network of pressure-sensitive air cells to automatically correct the user's posture and cycles air to maintain skin integrity. The web portal enables clinicians to operate the device remotely and prescribe inflation settings most suited to the user's sitting needs. With Innovate UK's support, the company will finalise DFM of Aergo PS and test market viability through post-market surveillance. This would enable Aergo to gain potential customers' feedback, work with specialist distributors to establish robust sales channels to exploit its innovation.

I'm the founder of a medical device company, Aergo. Our mission is to empower people with disabilities by providing innovative assistive technologies to enable better physical and social participation. Drawing on my experience as a female founder, and the additional challenges this has raised, I aim to grow Aergo into a sustainable business while sharing my learnings to inspire more women to innovate in the healthcare sector. Proper seating posture is vital to digestion, breathing and communication, but the ability to sit comfortably is a daily struggle for over 1 million wheelchair users in the UK. Improper seating can exacerbate spinal deformities and leads to complications that devastate lives and cost the NHS over £3 billion a year. I created Aergo to be the world's most adaptable postural support system. It uses a network of patent-pending air cells to support individuals of all ages and needs. The remote-controlled system provides adjustable pressure-relief for a range of physical conditions and is the first device of its kind to grow with the user through its expandable frame. Among the benefits Aergo will be able to offer are pressure ulcer prevention for the Ageing population, the mitigation of risk of back pain in the likes of office workers and truck drivers. At Aergo we're driven by the belief that design today does not do enough to foster participation and engagement from all parts of our society. By offering solutions that empower users to control their own care, we aim to place personal health and autonomy within reach of everyone.