PhotoClear

Last week, we hosted the Science Creates Showcase to officially close the second round of our flagship Science Creates Engineering Biology Accelerator, and it was a fantastic celebration of Cohort 2.0's graduation from the UK Research and Innovation-funded programme. The Showcase brought investors, the Science Creates community and the national deep tech ecosystem together with Cohort 2.0 to provide the graduates with a vital platform as some of the UK’s most exciting emerging deep tech companies. We also welcomed back a number of companies from Cohort 1.0 to pitch their EngBio startups one year on from our first accelerator programme. Highlights from the Showcase include: • Harry Destecroix, Founder of Science Creates, and Francis Lister, Director of Science Creates Accelerate, kicking off the afternoon with an opening speech • 6 pitches from Cohort 2.0, showcasing their novel EngBio technologies in wastewater bioremediation, AI-powered cell therapy solutions, carbon-capture based materials production and rapid diagnostics • 7 pitches from early-stage companies from all corners of the Science Creates community, spotlighting their quantum, agritech and biotech technologies • Welcoming over 70 investors and deep tech founders from across the UK throughout the day • Closing the event with networking at the 1023 Bar in Science Creates Old Market, connecting attendees with the wider Science Creates community over cocktails Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate the end of round 2.0 of our Accelerator and the cohort's hard work to grow their ideas into living, breathing businesses over the past few months. A special thank you to all of the investors who attended, hosts from the SCVC team and the UK-wide Science Creates member companies who pitched and made the Showcase a success: PhotoClear, Deep Blue BioTech, Arne Scott, Veronika Rattaj, Alex Ward, Harry Thompson, Xterna, Daniele Simoneschi, Delta.g, ReNewFood, PentaBind, Zentraxa and Transdermal Diagnostics Ltd.   #deeptech #engineeringbiology #innovation #sciencecreates

🚀 Excited to begin a new chapter with PhotoClear💧 I am thrilled to announce that I am moving full-time into my entrepreneurial journey as the CEO & Co-Founder of PhotoClear, where I’ll be working alongside my incredible co-founders, Benjamin Baker and Teo Garcia-Millan. At PhotoClear, we are developing biocompatible additives designed to boost the biological treatment of wastewater. 🌊💧 Our technology enhances the natural efficiency of microorganisms—like activated sludge and phototropic bacteria—to recover pollutants from water while reducing reliance on harmful chemicals and energy-intensive processes. Our circular approach could even repurpose waste from treatment processes to create more additives, closing the resource loop ♻️. By doing so, we aim to preserve our lakes, rivers and seas while helping industries achieve their environmental goals. 🌿 This marks the beginning of an exciting chapter, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along this journey. 🌐 If you want to know more or know someone who may be interested in our work: photoclear.tech

🚀 Following up on my academic recap, I'm excited to share some personal and professional development highlights from the past year! Let's dive in: -PLUS Award and Innovation Journey 🌟 As part of the PLUS Award by the University of Bristol, the Innovation and Enterprise module truly ignited my entrepreneurial spirit. This experience inspired me to delve deeper into the world of innovation. 💡🚀 -BBI Innovation Training Programme 📚✨ I had the privilege of joining the BBI Innovation Training Programme, designed to equip Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with essential skills in innovation and research commercialisation. From January to June 2024, I participated in monthly training sessions covering: 🔬 Introduction to Research Translation 🛡️ What is Intellectual Property and How Can I Protect It? 🌟 Developing Impact from Your Research 🎤 Presenting Research to a Non-Expert Audience 🚀 Understanding Start-Ups and Incubators A special thanks to Kerstin Kinkelin for organizing and managing the program, and to the incredible experts Sara Holland, Helen Bartlett, Dr Ben Miles, Ph.D., Rick Chapman, Vivienne Kuh, and Mireia Bes for their invaluable training. Also, I had the chance to have Andrew Chapman as my mentor, whose guidance has been instrumental in shaping my ideas and their development. 🙏 -START Programme 🚀 From March 5th to April 25th, 2024, I joined the START Programme, a West of England Combined Authority-funded initiative led by the University of the West of England. This program provided comprehensive training on various aspects of entrepreneurship. Here’s a brief overview of the sessions and experts: 💼 The Opportunity and The Numbers by Gamu Matarira - Strategy Consultant. Coach. Speaker. Board Member. 💡 The Idea, The Customer, and The Plan by Rick Chapman. 🎤 Pitch Workshop led by industry experts. I extend my thanks to the organisers, especially Aimee Skinner, Abigail Frear, and Joanna Portis, for running such an impactful program. Their support was crucial for my growth. 🙌 Finally, I am thrilled to announce that, through the START programme, I have been awarded a place in the SETsquared Bristol QUEST programme! 🎉 -SETsquared Bristol QUEST Programme 🌟🚀 This program will provide access to an amazing community, industry mentors, workshops, and events designed to accelerate my entrepreneurial journey. Special thanks to Paul Forster, Abraham Mauleon Amieva and Stewart Noakes, who will be guiding me through this journey. I am incredibly excited to make the most of this fantastic opportunity and leverage all the benefits included to drive my projects forward. 🚀💡 Stay tuned for more updates! 🚀✨ #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #ProfessionalDevelopment #ResearchCommercialisation #Startups #Mentorship #Networking #SETsquared #FutureProjects

🌟 Calling All Wastewater Bioremediation Professionals! 🌟 At 💧PhotoClear, we're on an exciting journey to revolutionize wastewater treatment with innovative solutions. As we develop plug-and-play, safe, and biocompatible additives to enhance bioreagents like activated sludge and PSB, we recognize that there's much to learn from the experts in the field. We are eager to understand the industry's challenges, refine our processes, and explore new opportunities with your invaluable insights. Your experience and knowledge can greatly aid us in achieving our mission to optimize the natural breakdown and recovery of pollutants. We genuinely appreciate your help and would love to connect and engage in meaningful dialogue. Let’s collaborate to make a significant impact on the future of wastewater bioremediation. Follow us and share your expertise – together, we can create a cleaner, healthier future. #WastewaterTreatment #Bioremediation #EnvironmentalInnovation #CleanWater #PhotoClear #Radicalchange

Excited to share that Marcos Villeda Hernandez Is representing PhotoClear in Cohort 2.0 of the Science Creates Creates Engineering Biology Accelerator Programme! 🌟 A programme designed to turn engineering biology ideas into thriving companies. We are ready to take wastewater bioremediation to the next level with EngBio at the heart of our pioneering technology. Today was the 3rd of a 5-day Founder Bootcamp in Bristol, we’ve been immersed in sessions on grants, technology, pitching, investment, and leadership. Over the next 9 weeks, we’ll receive ongoing support, training, and access to a vast network of expertise. Plus, there’s a chance to apply for up to £50k of equity-free feasibility funding! 💡 A huge thank you to the incredible team Francis Lister, Lucy McGowan Harry Destecroix and Catherine Fletcher and experts involved in this journey. #startups #innovation #engineeringbiology #PhotoClear #ScienceCreates #UKResearchandInnovation