MSD, Wayra unveil Velocity Health winners

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Wayra UK have unveiled the 2017 winners of Velocity Health, a ground-breaking preventative digital healthcare accelerator programme designed to address key care challenges.

Under the programme, each successful company stands to receive up to £68,000, half in cash and half in dedicated acceleration services, including access to a wide range of mentors, coaches, investors and other facilities to help progress their projects.

Our Path is a digital programme which will combine the efforts of doctors, scientists, engineers, technologists and product designers to help type II diabetes patients gain control of their diet and lifestyle through support and health tracking tools.

Quit Genius is a unique personalised digital therapy programme to help people to stop smoking, which combines western cognitive behavioural therapy with eastern mindfulness in the hope of helping users gain full control over mind and body.

The two winners will embark on a 10-month programme designed to nurture the entrepreneurial talent and technological expertise of each business to facilitate the development of innovative products and services that have the potential to deliver savings and efficiencies to the healthcare system.

"We are delighted to be working with Quit Genius and Our Path to generate two powerful digital tools which support healthcare improvements, particularly in cancer and diabetes which continue to dominate health outcomes," said Louise Houson, MSD's Managing Director for the UK and Ireland. "MSD is continuously looking for innovations in healthcare that allow us to contribute beyond our medicines."