Imperial startups showcase innovative ideas at London Demo Day 2024

Five startups from Imperial’s innovation ecosystem have showcased their ideas alongside peers from London’s leading universities.

Twenty entrepreneurs from Imperial College London, the London School of Economics (LSE), King’s College London, and UCL joined forces at LSE’s campus to pitch their startups to investors at this year’s London Demo Day.

The annual collaborative event brings together the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent from London’s top universities, with each university selecting five startups who are currently in the early growth stage and looking to raise between £100,000 - £2 million.

Since 2019, the programme has supported more than 65 startups which have collectively raised more than £97 million, according to data from Beauhurst – a database of the UK's fastest-growing companies.

The five startups representing Imperial this year were:

UpLYFT

UpLYFT, founded by Bioengineering and Biomedical Sciences alumnus Aalok Rai, is a wearable robotics startup that is creating wearable technology to improve mobility, muscle and bone health. Their devices deliver targeted, non-invasive mechanical stimulation to users.

UpLYFT are aiming to tackle issues with mobility, muscle and bone function decline for older people, which leads to an increased risk of falls and reduced quality of life.

Biofonic

Biofonic, founded by Innovation Design Engineering alumnus Alex Park, is developing new approaches to low-cost pest management and soil regeneration, using acoustic data to provide warnings of hidden soil pests.

The startup believes that its technology could help to reduce pesticides by more than 50 per cent and prevent crop loss.

Carbon Cell

Carbon Cell, led by Innovation Design Engineering, Industrial and Product Design alumnus Elizabeth Lee, is developing a carbon-negative, compostable replacement for plastic-based foam materials.

The world produces millions of tonnes of expanded polystyrene foam which require petrochemicals to make and take hundreds of years to degrade, according to the startup. Carbon Cell’s carbon negative, non-toxic and fully compostable foam aims to reduce our reliance on these plastic-based materials.

Matrix

Matrix, founded by Healthcare and Design alumnus Stiliyana Minkovska, has created a self-use cervical assessment tool which allows women to perform gynaecological exams privately.

The tool aims to reduce the need for in-clinic visits, address barriers to screening, and provide immediate diagnostic feedback, supporting early detection, timely intervention, and improved accessibility in women’s healthcare.

Phare Labs

Phare Labs, co-founded by Global Innovation Design alumnus Arnau Donate Duch, aims to provide two-sided security for rental properties, which the startup says are significantly more likely to have issues with water leaks, damp, toxic mould and burglaries than other homes.

Phare Labs’ technology monitors the most common causes of property loss, aiming to keep tenants’ homes safe and protecting landlords’ income streams.

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London Demo Day will return in 2025 and will be hosted by UCL.

For more information on Imperial’s support for staff and student entrepreneurs, visit the Imperial Enterprise Lab website.