Scaling HN: Accessing support across the ecosystem

HN, alumnus of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, uses AI to predict and prevent urgent care needs. In this case study, learn how they have accessed support from across the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) and Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) programmes, to help them scale their product. 

Overview: 

HN (previously known as Health Navigator) predicts and prevents unplanned care events using AI on existing healthcare data. Their approach helps to ease the pressure on staff, improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. Their evidence shows HN can identify 8 out of 10 patients who are likely to require emergency admission and supporting them to improve their health outcomes. This reduces the likelihood of hospital admission by 34%. 

HN has made use of support available to them from across the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) and other ecosystem support programmes, including the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme. 

DigitalHealth.London Accelerator support: 

HN was on the third cohort of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator in 2018. Through the Accelerator, HN received support in refining their value proposition for the NHS, identifying their evidence generation needs and brokering connections with NHS organisations.  

Joachim Werr, Founder and Executive Chair of HN, said: “At HN, we address one of the NHS’s most pressing concerns: reducing urgent and emergency unplanned care needs. It’s been great to be part of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme, and work with clinical partners to deploy our innovation at scale across the NHS. The Accelerator is firmly established as a prestigious and important player in supporting the NHS to make the most of the opportunities digital health offers.” 

Growth and successes since Accelerator programme: 

HN completed their first commercial sales in 2018 when they were onboarded onto the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator and at that stage the company had £60,000 in revenue. In 2022 HN made £3.4million and they plan to increase this to £6million next year, and £30million in five years – 39% of that is planned to come from the US market, 40% from the UK and the remaining 21% from Ireland. 

The business has grown nationally including across Scotland and Wales, and in Ireland. When HN was on the Accelerator the company had 13 employees which has now expanded vastly.  

HN has also won a host of awards over the years, most recently winning 1^st place at the HTN awards in the digital ICS transformation category for their collaborative work whilst also being highly commended in the health tech study of the year category. 

Other ecosystem support: 

• Joachim Werr, Founder & Executive Chair of HN, and Mark England, CEO of HN, have both taken part in the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA). The NIA supports individuals who are looking to scale their innovation nationally. 
• HN has connections with the Yorkshire and Humber AHSN and £500k of funding was granted from NHS Digital to pay for HN role out in York. HN also funded a patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) study in partnership with the AHSN. 
• HN have received funding from SBRI twice: in 2019 the company received £95,000 and in 2021 they received just under £1million. This funding helped taking HN from prototype to product. The HN predictor technology was taken from the proof of concept and research stage to a commercial market-ready platform. The company also moved into Scotland with the money and validated the model there. Joachim Werr said, “SBRI is well-managed, and they put lot of resources behind the programme for due diligence and to support the companies. The money is great, but its benefit also comes from the structure in which the money is provided and how they hold the companies accountable.”  
• The Health Innovation Network (HIN) is DigitalHealth.London’s founding organisation. The HIN hosted an Innovation Exchange event in South London at which HN was featured. This led to an introduction to Lewisham Health and Care Partnership (LHCP) and HN eventually partnered with LHCP and L2S2 Ltd to launch a home monitoring solution in 2021, which includes clinical coaching and virtual ward oversight, in the London Borough of Lewisham.