Newcastle University and Plymouth University spinout Gnosis Health has secured £1.1m in funding to scale-up its digital healthcare technology designed to transform the management of Parkinson’s disease.
This funding will allow Gnosis Health to develop its AI-powered digital healthcare assistant MAXine, designed as a patient-centric solution to an urgent clinical need.
Integrating data from wearables, patient reported outcomes and behavioural patterns, MAXine provides real time insights to patients and clinicians. It offers continuous, adaptive monitoring that enhances self-management and improves care team communication.
Investment Breakdown
Northstar Ventures has invested £250,000 via the North East Spinout Inspire Fund. A further £320,000 came from SFC Capital, and a £550,000 Innovate UK investor partnership grant. Together, this brings the total funding to £1.1m.
The £22.5m North East Spinout Inspire Fund is backed by the universities of Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside, as well as North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (via the North East Fund). It has been set up to commercialise the research and innovation emerging from the North East’s five universities. The Fund is being managed by Northstar Ventures.
From research to real-world impact
Founded by Prof. Edward Meinert and Jerrell Schivers, Gnosis Health brings together decades of experience in software engineering, AI model development and clinical research. The spinout is supported by leading Parkinson’s charities, including Parkinson’s UK and Cure Parkinson’s.
Professor Edward Meinert, Co-Founder and CEO, and Professor of Digital Health and Clinical Artificial Intelligence at Newcastle University:
Northstar Ventures played a pivotal role in the early development of Gnosis Health, providing both strategic advice and steadfast support at a stage when the company was still taking shape. That early partnership helped lay the foundations for what has now become a successful spinout and commercial launch. We would not be where we are today without Northstar’s belief in the vision from the outset.
Dr Will Cousins, Investment Manager, Northstar Ventures:
Our universities are renowned for producing spinout companies that have global potential. Gnosis Health is tackling one of the most pressing challenges in chronic disease management. MAXine represents a step change in remote monitoring for Parkinson’s, combining clinical rigour with cutting edge AI to deliver meaningful value to patients and care teams alike. We’re proud to support a company with such clear potential to improve quality of life and reshape how chronic conditions are managed across the NHS and beyond.
Northern Accelerator Support
Gnosis Health has previously been supported by Northern Accelerator through its Fast-Start Grant. This initial funding is designed to help spinouts meet some of the expenses incurred in the early stages of setup.
Gnosis Health Addresses Critical Health Challenges
Affecting more than 153,000 people in the UK, those living with Parkinson’s typically receive only 30 minutes of clinician time per year. Symptoms fluctuate, requiring consistent monitoring. Existing approaches rely largely on questionnaires or infrequent clinical observation, resulting in fragmented care. MAXine bridges this gap, capturing symptom changes throughout the day and generating actionable insights.
The platform has demonstrated strong patient engagement in pilot studies, plus a potential 25% reduction in patient care costs. Unsurprisingly, there has already been keen early interest from international digital health funds.
The global AI healthcare market is expected to reach around $102 billion by 2028. Differentiating itself from broader consumer grade health platforms, MAXine is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this opportunity through its bespoke explainable AI models, federated-learning approach and focus on clinical specificity. MAXine can integrate with any commercial wearable device, an essential step in advance of its planned commercial release.
Photograph: L: Prof. Edward Meinert, Co-Founder & CEO, Gnosis Health & Professor of Digital Health & Clinical AI, Newcastle University and R: Dr Will Cousins, Investment Manager, Northstar Ventures.
Photo credit: Kevin Gibson Photography.
