FlourishZone, the Bath firm aiming to revolutionise the global workplace wellbeing and coaching industry with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), has won a place on the prestigious InvestHorizon European tech accelerator.
The move will support growth for the firm’s award-winning ‘deep tech’ wellbeing-at-work solution.
Funded by the European Commission in association with EUREKA, InvestHorizon is a free, four to six-month programme which attracts hundreds of applicants from all across Europe, Horizon2020 and EUREKA countries.
Five hundred of the most promising ‘deep tech’ businesses from across Europe have been chosen to be accelerated by the end of 2021.
As well as demonstrating commercial viability and strong growth potential, candidates had to meet stringent ‘deep tech’ criteria.
FlourishZone’s platform satisfies this by combining sophisticated, multi-layered AI with human expertise and know-how, helping build productivity and well-being.
The platform will enable professional lifestyle and business coaches from anywhere in the world to add their own content, including questionnaires and videos, which the end users – businesses and their employees – can use to help their working lives.
Securing a place on InvestHorizon is the latest in a series of milestones for FlourishZone, which was founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs Adrienne Percival and Mark Baptist.
It has received several high-profile awards during the past three years and in 2018 secured a £1m grant from Innovate UK.
Adrienne, pictured, said: “To be part of the InvestHorizon programme, with its network of investors and other deep tech businesses, connects us with an incredible opportunity.
“In the first month of the programme alone the insight we’ve gained has been extremely valuable and the common purpose and passion for what deep tech can achieve is really inspiring.
“We’re able to focus on futureproofing our proposition with input from some of the leading minds in deep tech from across Europe, while also getting to share our experiences and challenges with fellow entrepreneurs and learn from each other.
“It’s also a privilege to be representing the South West and putting our vibrant tech sector on the map.”
The InvestHorizon programme, which is designed to help applicants boost their investment readiness, has accelerated 440-plus businesses from 33 countries. The first 131 companies closed 33 deals, raising €53m in equity funding.
Senior innovation consultant at EurA AG and InvestHorizon consortium partner, Carol Trisorio, said: “At InvestHorizon we offer a broad spectrum of free acceleration services, including peer-to-peer recommendation sessions, expert coaches’ tailored support and introduction to potential investors or strategic partners, as well as the opportunity to meet face-to-face with targeted investors at InvestHorizon pitching fora and e-pitching events.
“Flourish Zone is one of the 30 promising companies that attended our online bootcamp at the beginning of May and are now ready to pitch in front of investors,” she added.
FlourishZone investor and Bristol-based recruitment entrepreneur Mike Beesley added: “There is such demand for the FlourishZone solution for organisations to deliver real-time personalised wellbeing solutions to their employees.
“We need to get the economy fully back on its feet and this means looking after our talent. Looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the InvestHorizon process and what FlourishZone will achieve in the years to come.”
