BioLiberty

A UK biotech startup company passionate about independent living.

Entrepreneur profile

Ross O'Hanlon and Rowan Armstrong - both graduates from MEng Electonics and Electrical Engineering with Management 

About BioLiberty 

Founded by Ross O’Hanlon and Rowan Armstrong, the two University of Edinburgh alumni launched their startup the same year as graduating from MEng in Electronics and Electrical Engineering with Management. Their passion and focus was to enable people to live their lives independently. BioLiberty’s aim is to empower every human to live a longer, independent life by providing assistive robotics and rehabilitative technologies. Witnessing the struggles of living with reduced mobility inspired their ideas.

How does it work?

BioLiberty’s solution is aimed at sufferers of hand weakness and is made up of two elements: a soft robotic glove and a digital therapy platform. In the UK, more than 2.5 million people are currently living with hand weakness. The soft robotic glove is the result of several breakthrough technology advancements in recent years: machine learning, robotics and biomedical processing.

BioLiberty's success

The young startup has experienced lots of success so far. In 2020 they won the Young Award from Scottish EDGE, a competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s up and coming, innovative and high-growth entrepreneurial talent. In 2021, they won the Wildcard Award for Scottish EDGE, the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge winners 2021 and won a place on the Unlocking Ambition programme 2021.

Edinburgh Innovations support 

BioLiberty have received support through workshops, programmes, networking opportunities, 1-2-1 consultations with a business adviser and funding. This includes the Startup Summer Accelerator and winning the Impact Award in Inspire Launch Grow.

 

You just have to go for it. If you have an idea surround yourself with the correct people, try and find expertise that you need and build from there and always be open to learning new things.

Ross O’Hanlon shares advice to other entrepreneurs

 

Feeling inspired? 

Do you have a sustainable idea? Enter our brand new Environmental Enterprise Idea Competition for your chance of winning a share of £500 and the chance to make your idea a reality. Deadline 30 November.

Find out more and enter now 

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