News | October 2026

What makes a leading innovation university?

Queen Mary has again scored top rating for IP and Commercialisation, Research Partnerships, and Public and Community Engagement in Research England’s Knowledge Exchange Framework. We held our high rating for working with business and for working with the public and third sectors, and we’ve risen to high engagement for graduate startups and for local growth and regeneration.

We’re creating a culture at Queen Mary in which anyone who wants to build a business – from first year to professor – gets the support and opportunity to do so.

You’ll see all this on display in this newsletter, for everything from dentistry to datacentres.

Phil Clare, CEO, Queen Mary Innovation

Spinout highlights

Elcella in the final for the Knowledge Exchange Awards. Founded by Dr Madusha Peiris and Dr Rubina Aktar, Elcella Limited uses nutrients to release the body’s own GLP-1 and PYY to regulate appetite naturally. The spinout is growing fast and expanding internationally.

Follow Elcella Limited to learn more.

BioMin return to market with £1.5m investment. Founded by Prof Robert Hill, BioMin toothpaste reduces sensitivity by up to 90% in just one month, beating market leaders. The investment will fund expansion through strategic partnerships, licensing the bioactive glass technology for use in other dental products, and producing clinically-led educational content.

BioMin Technologies Limited’s MDR certification and recent investment raise put them in a strong position to grow. Connect with CEO Alec Hilton to learn more.

ReFleks reaches semi-final of the US National Academy of Medicine’s Healthy Longevity Global Competition. Founded by Dr Suzanne Eldridge and Prof Francesco Dell’Accio, ReFleks are developing a regenerative therapy to repair damaged cartilage and treat osteoarthritis rather than simply managing its symptoms. The global competition recognises innovation with the greatest potential for improving healthy longevity.

ReFleks are raising investment to fund a clinical trial and other key milestones. Connect with Dr Maria Frolova at QMI to learn more.

Student and alumni startups

PLAYBACK pitch at Onstage (by Sifted), Europe’s biggest demo day. Founded by Karim Fawaz, PLAYBACKis an award-winning sports tech platform that combines cameras, GPS tracking, performance analytics, and AI to open elite athlete development tools to grassroots sports.

PLAYBACK will soon be seeking investment to acquire their biggest distributor, connect with Karim Fawaz to learn more.

Maya Mehrara, Agnese Picchio, and Tiffany Chiu in the final for the Global Innovator Awards. Maya Mehrara and Agnese Picchio founded StoryFoundry AI to help charities and social enterprises increase engagement and fundraising outcomes. Tiffany C. founded Juliemay Lingerie, an allergy-free lingerie brand that helps women with eczema, allergies, or sensitive skin.

StoryFoundry are raising a £250k pre-seed round for business development and scale up. Connect with Maya Mehrara to learn more.

Collaboration and licensing

Best of Queen Mary showcased at BioJapan, Asia’s leading biotech event. Our health Business Development Team joined with MedCity, Science, Innovation and Investment Minister Chris McDonald MP, and other leading London universities to create new research and innovation partnerships.

Connect with Dr Jemma Trick to learn more about partnering with Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

Prof Sir Colin Humphreys is tackling the datacentre energy problem at source. Queen Mary is working with the University of Glasgow, the University of Nottingham, Paragraf and 22 industrial partners at every stage of the supply chain to produce 2D semiconductors for electronic devices that consume up to 90% less energy than conventional silicon equivalents. The project is backed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Connect with Dr Joanne Chamberlain to learn more about partnering with Queen Mary Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Dr Pierre Maillard and Dr Raul Yusef SANCHEZ DAVID, PhD overcome key barrier to self-amplifying vaccines. The team’s novel strategy published in Nature Communications could open new possibilities for vaccine design, gene therapies and cancer treatment.

We’re looking for a commercial partner to help develop the technique for clinical use. Connect with Dr Queenie Chan at QMI to learn more.

In other news

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke to Queen Mary’s students and researchers.

Read about the visit.