A healthcare firm that aims to help reduce inequalities by helping people detect and treat health conditions early has won a £1.25m investment to grow across the 海角视频 and Europe.
SiSU Health has secured the support from Praetura Ventures to grow its team and expand the reach of its digital health services.
The company, led by CEO Samantha Fay, has its operations and logistics business in Manchester. It also plans to use the funding to grow its presence in the city, expanding the manufacturing of its SiSU Health Stations, and is working with the Department for Business and Trade to find a larger home.
SiSU Health aims to help people detect risk factors, such as high blood pressure and obesity, so they can make lifestyle changes. The company’s work also generates anonymised population health data that can be used to inform public health strategies.
The company already has clients including Aldi, Jaguar Land Rover, The AA, Workday and a range of councils and NHS trusts, with 20,000 people using its services each month. It wants to grow to have a network of more than 600 health stations by the end of 2026.
SiSU Health has secured the investment from the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, which brings together Bruntwood SciTech, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington. Investment has also come from NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance, managed by Praetura as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
This is the fourth deal on which the funds have co-invested in the past year.
The company has created the SiSU Health Station, where people can do a self-service digital health check in five minutes that can offer personalised health insights and calculate the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
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Users can then access a companion platform to help them understand their results and find treatment. SiSU’s platform can be integrated with existing healthcare systems.
The company says it particularly wants to offer its services in areas of deprivation, or those where access to healthcare services is more limited, so it can “tackle barriers to access for underserved communities”.
SiSU Health says it has delivered more than a million health checks to date. It has found that over 70% of platform users have not had a recent blood pressure check, even though high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease that can be successfully treated.
It has worked on the Department of Health and Social Care-funded CVD (cardiovascular disease) Workforce Health Check Program and itself plans to launch a new public health proposition this year.
Samantha Fay, CEO at SiSU Health, said: “We’re building a future where everyone has the tools and confidence to take control of their health — wherever they are. This funding allows us to scale our digital platform, extend our reach into new communities, and strengthen our collaborations and integrations across employer, public health and primary care. Prevention has to be proactive, accessible and data-informed — and that’s exactly what SiSU Health delivers.”
Sim Singh-Landa, head of the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, said: “SiSU Health is bringing health into the modern age by helping individuals to take a health test at a time that’s convenient to them without judgement and the costs that can be associated with health checks. They are critically providing connected collaboration between the corporate world and public health systems, encouraging self-care and health awareness for individuals with supported follow-up and interventions, which has significant benefits for the NHS and public health.
“This latest co-investment between the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura and NPIF II also shows the power of two well-established regional funders working together to help propel great companies in the region.”
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Dr Kath Mackay, chief scientific officer for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “The GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura was set up to grow the region’s life sciences footprint to new levels of widespread recognition and give support to innovative businesses like SiSU Health who are tackling challenges like public health and the need to reach underrepresented demographics. We’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the SiSU Health team, as they scale the business’s manufacturing and logistics output from right here in the North West.”
Sue Barnard, senior investment manager at British Business Bank, said: “A key aim of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to invest in businesses that are paving the way in innovation and creating valuable solutions for the people it serves. It’s clear that the 海角视频 needs new solutions for healthcare issues and now, with the help of NPIF II funding, another great Northern business has secured the financial support it needs to help make this possible.”
Praetura was advised by Manchester-based DWF Law, with Irwin Mitchell supporting SiSU Health.