Two pioneering innovations designed to improve outcomes for children and young people have been recognised at the Paediatric HealthTech Sprint, an initiative created to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies in paediatric healthcare.
Funded by NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health, the Paediatric HealthTech Sprint was conceived through the NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health Mind and Body Integration Theme, led by Dr Kathryn Beardsall, in collaboration with Dr Tamsin Holland-Brown and Ms Louise Allen. The programme was delivered in partnership with Health Tech Enterprise, the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with support from sponsors 8Fold Governance and 42 Technology.
Health Tech Enterprise has been delivering Health Innovation Sprint events for more than a decade in combination with a wide range of partners. The Health Sprint events provide a unique opportunity for innovators to gain valuable insights and tailored advice from a multidisciplinary panel of experts, all within a single day.
The event was established to address the lack of investment in paediatric medtech and support early-stage innovators facing additional challenges in bringing new technologies to market. Participants received tailored commercial, clinical and strategic guidance to help advance promising ideas into impactful healthcare solutions.
Overall Winner – Orli Health Limited
The judging panel selected Orli Health Limited as the overall winner of the Paediatric HealthTech Sprint. Founder Mark Cox received £3,000 of in-kind support from sponsor 42 Technology to further develop Orli, a physical-digital emotional companion designed to support children in healthcare settings.
Judges praised the innovation for addressing a significant unmet need within paediatric care and highlighted its potential to improve the experiences and wellbeing of young patients throughout their healthcare journey.
Runner-Up Award and Audience Vote – Meerkat
Alex Grafton and the Meerkat team from the University of Cambridge received two awards for their neonatal monitoring innovation.
Meerkat was voted the audience favourite and recognised as the most promising innovation presented during the event. The device monitors a newborn baby’s behaviour, activity and vital signs, providing clinicians and caregivers with valuable insights to support earlier intervention and improved neonatal care.
The team received virtual entry to the Paediatrics and Child Health Technology Conference, taking place on 2–3 December 2026. The conference is organised by the NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Meerkat was also named runner-up by the judging panel and awarded a Regulatory Review and Compliance Strategy package, together with one year’s free access to 8foldTraining, provided by sponsor 8Fold Governance.
“This year’s Paediatric HealthTech Sprint was a fantastic example of what can be achieved when clinicians, researchers and industry experts come together,” said Keith Pugh, Head of Operations at the NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health.
“It was inspiring to see innovators make such tangible progress in just one day, transforming early-stage concepts into viable solutions that move them further along the development pathway. At the NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health, we are proud to foster this collaborative ecosystem, and events like this play an important role in accelerating much-needed technologies for children and young people.
“We are also grateful to the experts who generously gave their time and expertise to support innovators throughout the Sprint.”
The Paediatric HealthTech Sprint supports innovators developing technologies that improve outcomes across paediatric healthcare and child health services.
By bringing together expertise from the NHS, academia, industry and the innovation sector, the programme helps accelerate the journey from concept to implementation, enabling promising technologies to reach the children, young people and families who need them most.
“The Sprint is a rare opportunity for innovators to sit in one room with the full range of expertise they need – families, clinicians, engineers, regulators and industry and get honest, rapid feedback,” said Dr Kathryn Beardsall, University of Cambridge Associate Professor of Paediatrics.
“That matters enormously in children’s health, where the bar for paediatric innovators is set so high. It creates an environment where innovations can be genuinely de-risked, and where innovators can refine their strategy in a remarkably short space of time.
“Health Tech Enterprise is proud to have partnered with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Paediatrics and Child Health, the University of Cambridge, and Cambridge University Hospitals to deliver this Paediatric HealthTech Sprint. The programme was designed to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for children and young people, while supporting innovators in refining their commercialisation strategies.
The innovations presented at this event demonstrated strong potential to address unmet needs in paediatric healthcare, showcasing both the quality of innovation within the sector and the commitment of innovators to improving outcomes for children and families,” said Karen Law, Head of Innovation at Health Tech Enterprise.
Images credited to ohfilms.com
