Former Winter Paralympian and World Cup Skier Sean Rose compered this year’s Medilink UK Awards, which returned to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena for the Med-Tech Innovation Expo on 29 April. It was another opportunity to celebrate the past year’s cutting edge technologies, outstanding business achievements and international success across the UK’s Life Sciences sector.
The hotly contested Start-Up award – sponsored by Nabarro – was won by Sheffield-based Swellaway which counts Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney among its investors.
The company, which has developed a groundbreaking portable medical device which applies cold, heat and compression to human or animal joints and muscles, became a finalist for the UK Awards after successfully winning the regional accolade at the Medilink Yorkshire & Humber Winter Ball and Awards in December 2014.
Jim Taylor, CEO at Swellaway, said: “We are delighted to receive the Start-Up Award. To win such a prestigious national healthcare industry award and to be recognized as one of the country’s leading Med Tech and Healthcare start-ups amongst so many great and exciting technologies, is a dream come true. We have a very exciting 12 months ahead of us.”
Medilink UK is one of Great Britain’s largest healthcare technologies representative bodies, with a strong track record in increasing the viability of manufacturers, service providers, designers, OEMs and suppliers of medical technology.
Wayne has been a founding investor in Swellaway, he said: “I have been an investor in Swellaway since I was shown one of the early prototypes. As a professional athlete you are always looking at ways to get you back on the pitch as soon as possible. I have no doubt that Swellaway is a game changing piece of kit to help athletes overcome musculoskeletal injuries”.