Public Funding for Urban 360 Ltd

Fungal spores cause a range of respiratory problems for humans, as well as damaging crops and trees. They are released from damp in houses, as well as waste management processes like composting. Currently the only ways to measure fungal spores in the air is to use sensors costing more than £100,000 or send samples for lab analysis. The cost and level of expertise required means that most people have no way to test whether there are dangerous fungal spores in the air. Urban 360 has developed a new low-cost handheld sensor to detect fungal spores in the air. The prototype sensor configures newly available low-cost technologies and is the first of its kind in the world. Costing just £1500 and producing real-time data that is easily understandable to non-experts makes if a breakthrough product in terms of managing fungal spores quickly and in a cost-effective way. This project will conduct field trials to refine its technical and commercial feasibility with trusted partners to open up key markets. We will conduct technical field testing at the UK's leading test station, the DEFRA Supersite. Urban 360 works with the UK Health Security Agency to test our sensor's performance outdoors and determine capabilities for use by a range of industries. Urban 360 will then run field tests with the Health and Safety Executive, who are responsible for the occupational health of workers in the UK, to understand the sensors' performance indoors and what capabilities they would require. Finally, Urban 360 will test with Southwark Council in council houses and a care home to understand its potential for use in residential and health care settings. Urban 360 is in senior-level discussions with 3 sensor manufacturers to ensure a quick route to market. Urban 360's product will deliver tangible benefits by quickly and cheaply identifying dangerous levels of fungal spores. The product will be useful for a range of industries including recycling, composting, sewage, agriculture, forestry, healthcare, building and construction, military, aviation and biotechnology. The technology can be modified to produce low-cost sensors capable of detecting other airborne biological materials like pollen and bacteria, giving us a pipeline of innovative 'first in the world' products. The lead organisation Urban 360 has a strong track record monitoring indoor and outdoor air quality. Urban 360 team includes two professors, three doctorates, and an MBA with combined experience winning and managing more than £100m of funding.