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Savitur Metrics is going to be a leading global supplier of spectroscopic measurement systems for chemical and pharmaceutical plants, offering disruptive monitoring technology for quality control, efficiency and safety. The company plans to create the first affordable and accurate real-time monitors for liquids with particles, allowing continuous monitoring. This replaces slow and expensive laboratory testing of samples, and can catch problems early, reduce waste and improve efficiency.
Claudia joined the University of Strathclyde in 2009 after completing her PhD at the University of Manchester. Working with Professor Suresh Thennadil in the Department of Chemical Engineering, she jointly developed the ISS technology, which combines Claudia’s background in instrumentation and measurement with Professor Thennadil’s expertise in process monitoring and modelling. In 2011, Claudia and Suresh decided to exploit the commercial potential of the ISS technology, which stands for Integrated Spectroscopic System. It’s a novel optical measurement system integrated with novel data process software to provide real-time, product-related information for processes and products involving high concentrations of particles. They were motivated after researching the opportunity for this technology – there is a clear gap between problems faced by the chemical manufacturing industries and the solutions available on the instrumentation market.
They submitted their UK patent application in 2011, and their proposal for the Scottish Enterprise Proof-of-Concept (POC) fund was granted in 2012. The 24 month project started in November 2012, taking the innovative ISS technology to the next level. The project funding enabled the expansion of the team, prototype building, trialling in the lab as well as in an industrial environment, and the commission of independent market research. In 2013, Ian Stevenson joined the team as commercial champion to develop the business plan.
Claudia was supported by her team to enter the Converge Challenge in 2014, having been through a steep learning curve in the first 12 months of the project, to develop her entrepreneurial skills and commercialise the ISS technology. She led Savitur Metrics’ participation in the competition to articulate the value proposition, business opportunity and commercialisation strategy, and to achieve wider exposure to the investor community.
Savitur saw off tough competition and went on to win the top prize of £35,000 plus a business support package worth £25,000. Asked why Savitur were judged to be the best project in the 2014 Converge Challenge, Mervyn Jones, Chair of Converge and Head of the Final Judging Panel, explains:
“Savitur Metrics had thought carefully about their product and brought together the right team to develop and deliver a credible business. They demonstrated an understanding of where their future market would be. They presented their business in a highly energetic and convincing way, which gave the panel confidence in their ideas”.
Speaking to Stuart Mackenzie, Commercialisation Infrastructure Manager at Strathclyde University and member of the Converge Challenge Top 10 judging panel, about the synergy between Converge Challenge and University Technology Transfer Offices, he comments: “The Converge training and support provide an ideal complement to the work of TTO’s like RKES at Strathclyde in helping prospective academic spin-outs and student start-ups become market and investor ready. For our process control spin-out Savitur Metrics, the prize is also a critical first building block for a seed funding package as they build towards launching in 2015, as well as evidence to potential funders and customers that the Founders can build a business case sufficient to impress a highly qualified judging panel.”
The project is currently in the process of securing investment and is planning to spin out from the University in early 2015, with an anticipated turnover of £350k in its first year of trading.