Thirty health innovators complete Propel Healthtech West Yorkshire programme
Posted: 10th June 2026
Thirty pioneering healthtech companies have successfully completed Propel Healthtech West Yorkshire, marking the end of six months of support designed to help innovators navigate the NHS, accelerate growth and bring transformative solutions closer to patients and healthcare systems.
Propel Healthtech is hosted by Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, and delivered in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Over the last six months, participants have benefited from expert-led masterclasses, tailored mentoring, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and access to NHS, academic and industry networks. The programme has helped organisations strengthen their propositions, refine routes to market and accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions across health and care.
The cohort, made up of fifteen start-up and fifteen scale-up organisations, joined the programme back in November 2025 after a highly competitive application process and following £4.5 million of investment from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), via the UK Government’s Investment Zone.
Since joining Propel Healthtech West Yorkshire, participants have worked closely with programme partners and ecosystem organisations to develop their solutions, gain valuable insights into NHS priorities and build connections that will support their future growth.
Established by Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber in 2018, Propel Healthtech supports SMEs developing innovative solutions for the NHS. Since its launch, the accelerator has supported more than 125 innovators from the UK and overseas, helped create 143 jobs, contributed £940,000 to the local economy and supported participating companies to secure £37 million in investment.
The programme entered a new phase of growth in 2025 after securing £4.5 million of investment from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) through the UK Government’s Investment Zone programme. Delivered in close collaboration with partners across the West Yorkshire innovation ecosystem, Propel Haelthtech West Yorkshire provides innovators with tailored support to navigate complex routes to adoption, helping promising technologies move from concept to real-world impact more quickly and effectively.
Dr Neville Young, Director of Enterprise & Innovation at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said:
“I want to congratulate our cohort of innovators that we welcomed onto Propel back in November. Over the last six months, we have seen an incredible range of ambition, creativity and determination from organisations committed to improving health and care outcomes.
“Our local health innovation landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and it is inspiring to see so many companies developing solutions that have the potential to make a meaningful difference to patients, healthcare professionals and communities. We are proud to have supported these innovators on their journey and look forward to seeing their continued success as members of the Propel alumni community.”
Our innovators completing the programme
The completion of this latest cohort marks another important milestone for Propel Healthtech and reflects a shared ambition to position West Yorkshire at the forefront of health innovation. Through the West Yorkshire Investment Zone programme, Propel Healthtech West Yorkshire will support 240 innovators over four years, helping to accelerate growth, adoption and impact across the region and beyond.
Ebiere Osusu, EO Health Hub Connect Ltd, is one of those innovators who has completed the Start-Up programme. She said:
“I would strongly encourage anyone considering building an innovation in health or social care to apply to Propel. The programme provides practical, honest insight, supportive challenge, and access to people who genuinely understand the system. It’s an excellent environment to learn, refine your thinking, and grow both your idea and you as a founder.”
Tsitsi Chinyandura, Founder at Lotessa Digital Health, another innovator from our Start-Up programme, added:
“Joining the Propel Healthtech Accelerator has been a transformative experience for both myself and Lotessa Digital Health. From the moment I stepped into the programme, the calibre of mentorship, peer cohort, and industry-relevant insights has elevated how I think about my product strategy, commercialisation, and scaling in digital health.”
John Buxton Commercial Director at Theta Sleep Ltd, is one of the innovators who has completed the Propel Scale-Up programme. He shared his thoughts on his experiences:
“I’m really impressed that in a world of formulaic solutions and experts selling dreams, the team takes the time to listen, truly understand and navigate to real people who can help you find solutions. For those thinking of joining I would say, you need critical and useful friends to navigate the innovation ecosystem and Propel delivers that.”
Although the formal programme of support has now ended, the 30 innovators will continue to benefit from ongoing connections across the Propel network, enabling them to access further opportunities, partnerships and support as they progress their innovations towards wider adoption.
Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber would like to thank all innovators, partners, speakers and contributors who have supported the cohort throughout the programme and wishes every organisation continued success in the next stage of their growth journey.