Garrett Sprague and Alexandra Melling, cofounders of Smplicare (Credit: Stewart Attwood)
Three female cofounded HealthTech firms have secured more than £1 million investment from STAC, Scotland’s industry-led accelerator for technology startups.
STAC announced the completion of its first investments in firms developing technology solutions to tackle healthcare challenges, through its newly launched investment syndicate STAC Invest.
The companies receiving investment are Smplicare, Silver Lion Innnovations, and Seluna.
Smplicare, cofounded by Alexandra Melling and Garrett Sprague, is developing fall prevention technology that helps older adults maintain independence while reducing the risk of falls – the leading cause of loss of independence in people over 65.
The company’s platform uses machine learning algorithms to predict fall risk with 85% accuracy.
Melling said: “STAC’s ecosystem has given us invaluable guidance on everything from regulatory compliance to user experience.
“This investment will help us expand our platform and reach more families who need support.”
Silver Lion Innovations, cofounded by Ruth Crozier and Conor Crozier, was created to transform the lives of people facing immobility across multiple health conditions and their carers.
Its flagship product, EasyOver, is a smart mattress topper that enables individuals to turn safely and comfortably in bed through touching a button, enabling one carer rather than two to turn a person up to 90 degrees.
Ruth Crozier said: “This backing gives us the further momentum to take EasyOver to those who need it most, faster than we could have otherwise.”
Seluna, cofounded by Dr Scott Black and Dr Yola Jones, is developing machine learning-enabled software to support doctors to diagnose and manage childhood sleep apnoea.
The firm’s software will be the first in market solution developed specifically for paediatric healthcare to automate and streamline the process of interpreting sleep studies and aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and optimise treatment planning.
Jones said: “With this funding, we can conduct real-world validation studies with our NHS partners and accelerate towards formal clinical trials. STAC’s investment will help bring our solution to market sooner, to improve paediatric diagnostics and reduce the strain on health services.”
The three companies are headquartered in thebeyond, STAC’s industry hub in Glasgow, which is being developed as an International Centre of Excellence for tech companies.
Unlike traditional accelerators that focus on community building, short-term fundraising support and sector introductions, STAC’s industry-led approach delivers an 18-month programme consisting of 116 business ingredients that build scalable companies capable of competing internationally.
Angus Macfadyen, head of investment at STAC, said: “We created the STAC investment arm to address the glaring need in Scotland’s innovation landscape for industry-led, founder-centric capital that goes hand-in-hand with world-class support.
“Our model is about more than money – it’s about bringing together private investment, mentorship, and access to advanced labs and networks.
“We’re proud to back these outstanding female founders and their business partners, who are not only building great companies but also using smart tech to tackle real-world pain points in health and social care.
“This is just the beginning of a new era for Scotland’s smart tech sector.”
Applications for STAC’s next accelerator cohort are open until 18 August 2025.
