The MedTech device company transforming the urinary management product industry with support from Innovate UK EDGE

Oxfordshire MedTech device company builds momentum to new product launch with support from Innovate UK EDGE.?

Binding Sciences Ltd was founded in 2019 by Keith Binding and Sarah Leather to design and develop novel personal urinary management products. Noting that there had been little user-centric innovation in this area for decades, they set about developing a pipeline of well-designed and easy-to-use products that will transform the lives of people of all ages with continence issues.??

A successful ￡174K Innovate UK grant in 2020 helped them to access Innovate UK EDGE support, which is aimed at giving innovative and ambitious SME businesses holistic business support to grow and scale.?

The company is working closely with Dr Caroline Elston-Giroud PhD , an Innovation & Growth Specialist in the South East. Caroline has worked with Binding Sciences over the last 18 months across several key areas of the business, including product development and intellectual property, funding and finance, as well as market research and regulatory support.??

Innovate UK EDGE helps to accelerate growth opportunities??

Innovate UK EDGE innovation & growth specialists have helped at every step.??

Since 2021, Caroline Elston-Giroud has worked with Binding Sciences to develop their business strategy, and to continue securing the value of their key intangible assets via Intellectual Property protection. Caroline introduced Binding Sciences to the IP team lead, Nuray Tanis , who helped Keith to position and apply for support from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). The timing was perfect as Binding Sciences was looking to expand their IP protection and portfolio at that time, and they were rapidly able to benefit from an IP Audit and follow-on IP Access funding.??

Caroline also assisted Binding Sciences to the successful award of a place on the new ‘Design for Growth’ program, which helps companies use design to boost business growth, building on the support of EDGE Specialists.??

This support in 2 key areas of the business has been particularly beneficial in informing the ongoing development of both their branding and commercial strategy, and in devising a complementary IP strategy.??

Caroline has continued to help Binding Sciences gain momentum as they develop and commercialise their products. Their first product, Releaf Freedom, was runner-up in the Health and Wellness category of the #Core77 Design Awards 2022. She has worked with the Managing Director, Keith Binding, to make the most of different funding opportunities available, including Regulatory support. In March, she helped Binding Sciences to apply to Innovate UK for a ￡30k ‘MedTech regulatory’ grant. The award will enable the company to register Releaf Freedom, in the US, Canada and a number of EU states, thus accelerating its commercialisation. Alongside this, the small team has worked hard to obtain ISO13485 certification in Quality management for medical devices, a massive milestone on their route to market.?

For Keith Binding, co-Founder and Managing Director, “Support from Caroline and Innovate UK EDGE has been extremely valuable. The beauty of the InnovateUK EDGE support is that it’s tailored specifically to our needs. Having Caroline alongside us is like having a non-exec on board. She really understands the challenges of building an early-stage business, has great commercial insight, brings constructive ideas to the table, and has introduced us to both people and funding opportunities of which we were unaware. The innovation support ecosystem for UK businesses is complex and Caroline’s help in flagging up potential sources of support that complement and amplify our own investment has been invaluable. We’re really looking forward to working with Caroline and her colleagues as we grow and scale the business.”????

Looking to the future, Caroline and Innovate UK EDGE will continue to support the Binding Sciences team as they launch the product to market, continue to define their NHS business case and get ready for investment. She comments “Supporting Binding Sciences encompasses everything I love about working with innovative businesses. Having a close working relationship with Keith for regular coaching sessions means that we work efficiently together and make excellent progress on areas we have prioritised. It is very dynamic and super motivating! Their carefully designed products fulfil an everyday, unmet medical need, and will improve the quality of life of so many people. I am very excited to continue to support them on their business and innovation journey.”?