An early warning system for viruses has won an award at the GREAT GBx Gala in San Francisco.
Untap Health, led by Imperial College London alumnus Dr Claire Trant, has created a device that can be installed in any community to monitor health in real-time using data from sewage, helping to track viral outbreaks before symptoms have been identified.
Many viruses are carried by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people, meaning detection can only take place when symptoms have emerged and transmission has already happened.
This issue causes significant economic disruption, with figures showing the annual cost of influenza and norovirus alone is estimated to be around £36 billion in the UK and US, according to Untap Health.
The startup says their technology can monitor for multiple pathogens and detect one infected person in 10,000 healthy people.
Dr Claire Trant, CEO & Co-Founder of Untap Health, said: “Attending the GBx Gala at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco for the second consecutive year as a guest of Imperial College London was an incredible experience.
“Surrounded by fellow attendees who have achieved remarkable success across a range of fields, the event has a spirit of collaboration and friendship.
“I’m honoured that Untap Health received the Best in British Tech, Upstart Award—an extraordinary privilege. Imperial College London has been a supporter of both Untap Health and myself from the very beginning, and I’m immensely grateful to be an alumna.”
The GREAT GBx Gala is an annual gathering for the British founders, investors, and industry experts to celebrate the best of British technology, run in collaboration with the UK Government’s GREAT campaign.
The GREAT campaign aims to enhance the UK’s global reputation and support economic growth by promoting British creativity, diversity, and innovation.
It also aims to encourage international audiences to visit, study, trade, invest, live and work in the UK.
