A Wirral venture that has developed a small foot pad that helps prevent blisters has secured a national award and cash backing from Innovate UK. Tony McDonough reports
A Wirral business that has developed a product that helps prevent foot blisters has secured backing from Innovate UK.
PelliTec was developed by friends Karl Ormond and Lenny Waters who both worked in the building industry. They found existing foot blister treatments weren’t doing the job and wanted to come up with something that would help prevent blisters in the first place.
In 2019 they got together with the now co-director Peter Broxton and their business, Tectores, launched PelliTec onto the market.
This is a pad that sticks to the inside of footwear rather than on the skin. Its patented gel technology in the pad cushions and moves with the foot to prevent the friction which causes blisters.
PelliTec has proved popular and is now being exported to the EU, the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa.
Now the efforts of Peter, Karl and Lenny have been recognised by Innovate UK, the Government’s innovation agency. Tectores is one of 233 ventures to share a £6.2m pot to further develop their products.
It will receive a £50,000 grant as well as 12 months of tailored business support. Specifically, this grant will enable the business to expand into the amputee market where skin irritation caused by friction is a major problem.
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Peter said: “We are delighted to have Innovate UK support, it will help us continue with our product development and growth plans.”
Previously Tectores has received help from the Department for International Trade (DIT) via Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub.
Through DIT they were helped by an international trade adviser to get access to export training and were offered connections to potential overseas partners facilitated by DIT’s overseas teams.