Health Launchpad FAQ

What is Health Launchpad?

Health Launchpad (HL) is an early stage social venture fund focused on innovation in the field of long trem conditions. We develop promising ideas into new ventures by providing intensive hands on support in the form of financial, intellectual and social capital.

The HL is a fund within Launchpad, whose team combines hands-on experience from commercial, technology and social enterprise sectors focuses on the start-up, financing and growth of new organisations.

What do you mean by long term conditions?

The latest Health Survey reports that 45% of the adult population of the UK has one or more long-standing illnesses. For those aged 75 or over the figure is three quarters. By the end of the last century, chronic illnesses accounted for 80% of NHS spending.

Our definition of long term conditions is broad and extends to areas such as asthma, obesity, mental illness, diabetes and chronic back pain.

Who is NESTA?

NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and our principal funder. It is the largest single endowment devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK. Its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. It invests in early stage companies, informs innovation policy and encourages a culture that helps innovation to flourish.

How do you select projects?

All our projects do through a structured process where they are assessed on the following basis:
• Innovation: how disruptive is the innovation? We are looking for projects that are radical in approach and potentially transform society and truly break the mould.
• Sustainability: how sustainable is the project in the long term? We are looking for ventures that continue to deliver sustainable social impact overt the long term
• Scalability: how is the replicable or scalable.

What kind of support can I receive in addition to funding?

We recognise that funding is always a critical element however for innovative projects there is also a need for clarity of vision, clear project direction and the ability to build momentum around emerging themes. The Health team contains of individuals with a vast array of backgrounds, all who may support projects to be realised - be it via hands-on or light-touch approaches. HL's aim is to accelerate health innovations by helping new ventures to be realised. Projects therefore get individualised support alongside funding in order to provide the project with the best chance of success.

I have an idea - what happens now?

Please submit your idea via this website! A member of the Health team will then contact you shortly to discuss your idea and its background with you.

If my project is approved funding, does Health Launchpad then own it?

No. HL's involvement is to help realise the project. On occasions where there is an established team and intellectual property is a central element, a discussion about equity stake and partnership would naturally evolve - on other occasions, an agreement of partnership becomes the central model.

If I submit an idea - what is to stop HL stealing it?

HL wants to realise the most promising health innovations and with a small team we are best placed to support others to drive ideas into reality. As such, our preference is to work with idea originators to progress their vision. In some cases ideas may be submited to us where there is no team in place or the originator does not want to drive the project forward. In these cases the HL team will explore the best approach to achieving social impact by bringing together a team or delivery partners.