Innovation Seed Fund builds WA health and medical startup community
A total of $4,925,235 has been awarded to 11 Western Australian innovators and early-stage start-ups to develop and commercialise cutting-edge health and medical innovations through the Innovation Seed Fund 2023-24.
The Innovation Seed Fund aims to bridge the gap in access to early-stage funding for WA start-ups to be more competitive in securing follow-on funding and growing into sustainable businesses while creating high-level jobs and boosting WA’s production and manufacturing capacity.
The program is funded by the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund which provides a secure source of funding to drive health and medical research, innovation and commercialisation.
The following Innovation Seed Fund grant recipients have been awarded in 2024.
| Activity lead | Responsible entity | Activity title | Funding awarded |
| Dr Nikhilesh Bappoo | VeinTech Pty Ltd | Right vein, first time, every time: Clinical validation and commercialization of VeinWise technology | $500,925 |
| Mr Ian Brown | REX Ortho Pty Ltd | REX Screw: Design for manufacture and regulatory testing of a novel, expandable screw to improve surgical outcomes for hip fractures patients. | $499,870 |
| Prof Barry Clements | Inspiring Holdings Pty Ltd | Developing a novel nebuliser spacer device to improve the delivery of inhaled medicines for people suffering from respiratory conditions | $500,000 |
| Dr Mark Fear | University of Western Australia | Non-invasive test of skin healing potential for treatment stratification of burn injury patients – Proof of feasibility | $99,970 |
| Dr Elena Juan Pardo | CoraMetix Pty Ltd | Advanced manufacturing of a next generation heart valve using polymeric materials and automated 3D printing to deliver life-time durability | $500,000 |
| Prof Riaz Khan | Australian Institute of Robotic Orthopaedics Pty Ltd (AIRO) | Development of Precision Laser-Assisted AIRO-x™ Knee Implant for Advanced Osteoarthritis: Paving the Way to Local Manufacture, Job Creation, and Regulatory Approval. | $479,251 |
| Dr Joost Lesterhuis | Setonix Pharmaceuticals | A Cancer Immunotherapy Booster in a Pill | $499,375 |
| Ms Kate Lewkowski | Neurotologix | A health economics trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Remote Oculography Monitoring Informatics (ROMI) system to triage patients with vertigo and dizziness and reduce hospital outpatient waitlists in a public hospital environment. | $498,920 |
| A/Prof Matthew Payne | The University of Western Australia | Commercialising a novel rapid combined culture and molecular microbiological test for early detection of sepsis | $353,873 |
| Dr Matthew Piggott | The University of Western Australia | Quality and quantity: a novel drug to enhance and extend levodopa therapy for Parkinson’s disease | $499,411 |
| Dr Yu Yu | Curtin University | Early Detection of Platinum-Chemotherapy Drug Response in Solid Tumour Biopsies | $493,640 |