£4.1m Baltic Ventures in Liverpool unveils list of 11 tech start-ups that will join its 2024 accelerator programme following the success of the first cohort in 2023. Tony McDonough reports

Baltic Ventures has revealed the 11 tech start-up businesses that will join its 2024 accelerator programme.

First unveiled in March 2023, Liverpool-based Baltic Ventures is backed with £4.1m from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Its aim is to to support northern tech businesses to access angel and VC investment without needing to head to London.

At the Slush’D start-up conference in Liverpool this week it unveiled its latest start-up cohort. Last year 100% of the ventures that took part all secured seed funding.

Claire Lewis, chief executive of Baltic Ventures, said: “We are excited to welcome this year’s Baltic Ventures Accelerator cohort chosen from an exceptional group of applicants who believe in the vision of business as a force for good.

“The Baltic Ventures Accelerator brings together talented and ambitious mission-driven founding teams, supporting them to fast track their growth and development and secure the funding they need for the next step of their growth.”

This latest list was selected from a pool of 270 applicants (a 35% increase on 2023), with only 11 spots available. Baltic Ventures attracted applications from entrepreneurs from all parts of the UK, Scotland and Ireland. The 11 are:

• AppLatch Kids – builds products that help millions of children curb smartphone addiction, increase productivity, and improve academic performance by reducing tech distractions.
• BeGenio – a game-based learning platform that focuses on improving maths skills through immersive games.
• Black Goblin – an intuitive, cost-effective solution that democratises sound design.
• DearBump – a pregnancy app aimed at closing the significant worldwide maternal health data and research gap. It provides expectant mothers with knowledge and access to health professionals throughout pregnancy and two years postpartum.
• Decently – has created Melo, a clinically-validated, AI driven web-based platform that helps clinical teams provide better care for brain injury and dementia patients through smarter, quicker behavioural assessments and insights.
• EdenFiftyOne – their platform promotes 51 universal skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) at the core of English education and a standardised system for the teaching, learning and assessment of the worldʼs language.
• GoPlugable – an EV charger-sharing platform that aims to bridge the gap in public EV infrastructure as the UK aims to ban petrol car sales by 2035.
• MyOpNotes – a digital tool that aims to mitigate significant financial losses (estimated to be around £15m to 17m per NHS hospital, or £2.2bn across the NHS) due to unclaimed revenue from poorly recorded clinical coding in post surgical documentation.
• Praxium –  Praxium AI co-pilot increases the productivity and accuracy of radiologists in low and middle income countries in the detection of breast cancer, allowing them to save 700,000 lives lost to breast cancer each year.
• SoSquared – professionalising the influencer and content marketing space by enabling businesses from novices to large enterprises and agencies to complete marketing campaigns more efficiently, saving both money and time.
• Sum Vivas – an artificial intelligence company that creates advanced digital humans that enhance customer experiences in today’s real and tomorrow’s digital world. Improving productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction.

The programme requires participants to spend four months in Liverpool, demonstrating a strong draw for founders eager to benefit from the city’s vibrant ecosystem.

Jonny Clark, director of Liverpool Slush’D, added: “This announcement comes under the Liverpool Slush’D theme of Building Tomorrow: Liverpool’s Blueprint for Resilient Growth, highlighting how the region’s startups are turning challenges into opportunities.

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“Despite broader economic headwinds, the Liverpool startup ecosystem is thriving thanks to a cohesive collaboration across Liverpool city region.

“We have a unique mix of universities, startups, risk capital, civic institutions, and local government. Together, they form a supportive and dynamic network driving innovation in tech and other industries.”