SenTAG afloat with Catalyst loan
SenTAG Ltd, a Newbury based business whose products help to prevent people from drowning or being seriously injured in swimming pool accidents, has been awarded a catalyst loan of £30,000 by Finance South East with the support of the Thames Valley Hub. The loan will enable SenTAG to take its products to overseas markets and continue its product development work with Metra, an RFID specialist.
Swimming pools – municipal, hotel, school and at sports clubs - have varying levels of human supervision. Each year, several deaths and over 100 serious injuries occur in UK swimming pools, regardless of the lifeguard support available. Across Europe this figure is far higher. Even where death by drowning does not occur, brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen is a danger to bathers.
SenTAG’s innovative and patented solution is a small wristband that uses depth and motion sensors to assess the wellbeing of the wearer. If the bather is at risk the band automatically transmits an immediate ultrasonic signal to a poolside receiver and to staff.
“Drowning and serious pool incidents are thankfully mostly avoidable,” explains SenTAG’s Managing Director, Michael Lyons. “Poolside supervision is well proven, especially in the UK, but humans are fallible and occasionally fail to notice developing incidents before they become serious. SenTAG is a proven and practical technology which gives bathers, lifeguards and pool operators an extra level of safety.
“The catalyst loan will enable us to explore further potential with the wristband, including electronic locker keys, access control and electronic membership cards,” adds Michael. “It also means that we can expand our horizons further, into Europe initially where pool supervision by lifeguards isn’t as high a priority as it is in the UK.”
Please note that no new applications are now being accepted to either the PoCKeT or Catalyst Fund. These funds have now been amalgamated into one new fund to be launched in April 2008 called the South East Commercialisation Fund.
Contact: Ed Cooper
Email:
Publish Date: 18th June 2008
