Holly Branson

‘No new money without reform!’ said the Prime Minister this week following the woeful indictment of the NHS as ‘in serious trouble’ by  Lord Darzi.  Hallelujah!  Music to the ears of us healthtech entrepreneurs, and especially here at Sweatcoin,  given that two of his three levers for reform  are ‘technology’ and ‘focus on prevention’ (alongside better in-community care).   There is understandable caution where taxpayer money intersects with commercial business interests… but if innovative businesses have proven their efficacy, we urgently need to  see their adoption and roll-out at pace.    A more established scale-up like us might have had enough runway to be patient but many start-ups don’t.  Too many home-grown  technologies  are forced to focus their energies  overseas or worse, run out of money and fizzle out before they can save lives.  We’re excited to watch what happens and hope that with new focus and energy, many more lives can be saved.  #PreventativeHealthcare #DigitalHealth #Sweatcoin #NHS

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FareShare UK has launched our pre election Manifesto shaped by business, third sector and academics. The outcome is for a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable UK but also promises tangible benefits. If implemented, it would significantly reduce food waste, support communities in need, and foster a more sustainable food system.  The manifesto has been shaped by business, third sector and academics. https://lnkd.in/euTJ_eWC

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🫂Tech-enabled care is an exciting and impactful investment opportunity, with significant returns potential - but it often gets overlooked. The care sector is HUGE - we all have care needs to varying extents throughout our lives, but innovation to date has lagged other sectors, making the care space today ripe for disruption. Excitingly, we are now seeing an increasing number of startups entering this space.  Since Dalia Aga-Shaw and I started 3SV, the care economy has been a key focus for us, but we have found that an understanding of the care space among peers has often been limited, and we want to change this.  📍That’s why we’re publishing this market map showcasing tech-enabled companies operating in the UK care economy. Thank you very much to Rachel Drapper who has led this work for 3SV. #CareEconomy #VC

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Thanks National Voices, UCL Global Business School for Health and UCL Innovation & Enterprise for inviting me and VCSE Nutriri along to talk about how we can start to transform health management services across the country today. We talked a little about measuring the wrong things and the impact of doing so. A bit of ‘future hopes mapping’ and a bit of clarity came for me… that we basically have 2 cohorts in population health management (when it comes to weight at least)… Let’s call them ‘prevention group’ and ‘equity group’… And not prevention of weight change… simply poorer health prevention! Obvs. And the ‘equity group’?… well we’re the group that have felt the most impact of NOT having a weight neutral/inclusive - bias and stigma aware - whole system approach to health at every size… and we’re looking forward to some more stigma informed conversations to come. #MeasureHealthNotWeight #HealthEquityNetwork #NationalVoices Thanks Heather Eggins for the lush company and eggsellent support 😊

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Like the healthcare and prison systems in the UK, the fundraising system for SMEs and not-for-profits is broken. Shockingly, more than 95% of grant applicants are unsuccessful and over 98% fail to secure angel or VC investment. Additionally, over 80% of startups struggle to obtain or afford loans. This scenario leads to wasted time, money, and resources that SMEs can scarcely afford, with economic growth and job creation severely impacted. Will / should the new Government therefore launch a strategic review and consult with stakeholders to help make the fundraising system fit for the future? #UKstartups #fundraising #investment #startupsUK

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