The portable monitoring system and tests will be utilized by physicians, scientists, health professionals, faculty and staff as part of JHM’s commitment to health and well-being among its entire employee population. Ayub Khattak, Co-Founder and CEO of Cue said:

“Johns Hopkins Medicine is playing a leading and critical role in the fight against COVID-19, and we are honored to help support their team’s health and well-being. In settings like hospitals and medical research facilities, accuracy cannot be compromised and precision is paramount.”

In addition, JHM will have access to a Cue Health Enterprise Dashboard, which allows for test results to be shared through a secure, web-based internal application. This way organizations can manage population health and access timely data and analytics to enable administrators to swiftly identify trends and make informed decisions.

Cue’s test uses molecular nucleic acid amplification technology (NAAT) and provides lab-quality results directly to connected mobile devices in 20 minutes. The test is able to detect all known COVID-19 variants, including Omicron, and can be used on adults and children.

Cue also provides tests to Google, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball, among other organizations.

Mercury NLP software is an out-of-the-box solution at half the cost per byte of the competitor products. While Mercury NLP users will find its built-in features suit all processing solutions, it can be customized for clients with specific data warehousing objectives. The new product will negate the need for manual data extraction from unstructured medical texts.

Mercury NLP software provides accurate, real-time extraction of text data around diagnoses, prescribed medications, tests, lab results, discharge plans and more. The technology can also be applied in the analysis of social determinants of health data to improve public health. Frank Manion, PhD, Vice President for Innovation at Melax Tech, said:

“We are confident Mercury NLP will foster important breakthroughs in medical research. NLP technology is a largely untapped tool, and we want to change this by showcasing the benefits that it can provide in healthcare and other biomedical domains, where as much as 80% of data is housed in unstructured text notes.”

The Melax Tech suite of NLP software includes a COVID-19 symptom extractor based on their flagship software, CLAMP.

The simplest way to think about blockchain is that it is a database – a storage infrastructure for data – that’s secured by both encryption and by being decentralized. With many copies spread across many locations, all kept up-to-date simultaneously, changes can only be made to the data when there is consensus that it is correct to do so.

This relatively new (established by the protocol for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in 2008) way of managing and securing data can be used anywhere there is a need for a shared database that can be accessed and used by different people or organizations. One way of looking at it is that the security of the data is ensured by mathematics (cryptography), rather than having to rely on the trustworthiness of whoever the data happens to be in the hands of at any given time.

Blockchain is valuable for any sort of transaction where values and timestamps need to be securely recorded, so it is of particular interest to financial services companies. However, it’s also potentially useful for any process that involves tracking the movement of data between parties, so it has applications across trading, supply chain, logistics, and provenance.

The development of Covid-19 vaccines was hopefully the first step towards defeating the virus, but governments around the world are facing a huge task in distributing it to their populations. With limited supply and the need to be kept in refrigerated conditions, this is a great example of a problem for which blockchain provides a solution.

Over the next year, we are likely to see blockchain used to track vaccines from the point of manufacture to the patient. At every step of the journey, it can be used to create a permanent and non-falsifiable record of where each batch was at any given time. To do this at the speed required for vaccination to be effective across the entire world means processes must be developed for demand forecasting, supply chain management, and authentication.

Currently leading the field in deploying blockchain-based solutions to these problems is IBM, which has a working system and is now in talks with pharmaceutical companies with the aim of launching a pilot project.
The ongoing rise of enterprise blockchain

Enterprise blockchain, also referred to as private blockchain or permissioned blockchain, simply refers to deployments that, unlike the flagship use case of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, fall under the control of a centralized “owner” – generally the company that has deployed the chain.

Banking and financial services will undoubtedly lead the way, thanks for its obvious suitability for ledgering and accounting, as well as the disruptive influence of cryptocurrencies themselves. Beyond that, applications will increasingly be seen in healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, and professional services. Confidence in the technology is also growing, with a recent Gartner survey finding that 14% of enterprise blockchain projects moved to the production phase in 2020, compared to 5% in 2019.

The rise of NFTs

NFTs are certainly a trending topic at the moment and something we are only going to hear more about throughout the year. It stands for non-fungible tokens, which are essentially digital assets (pictures, music, code, contracts) that live on a blockchain and therefore can be said to have value due to their uniqueness. In the short term, this is creating new ways for some industrious people to make a lot of money – for example, the musician Grimes who sold artwork as an NFT for $6.6 million, and the NBA which has generated $230 million in sales of baseball video clips across its Top Shot marketplace.

Blockchain as-a-service

The as-a-service model of distribution has been key to the rapid adoption of technology trends, including cloud computing, the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). Blockchain is likely to be next, with companies including Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft all offering or developing tools and platforms enabling businesses to leverage the technology without making up-front investments in infrastructure and skills.

Beyond operating as a record or store of value, advanced blockchain implementations such as the Ethereum network and Hyperledger Fabric allow the creation of “smart contracts” and other decentralized, trustless architectures that have any number of applications. One example is a contract that automatically executes when conditions are met. This could include the transfer of money from an escrow system to make a payment when a project has been signed off as complete. Cloud-based, as-a-service platforms will bring this technology within reach of organizations that otherwise would not have the resources to do so without spending years planning and developing infrastructure.

Blockchain expertise a highly tradeable skill

Blockchain is not immune to the bottlenecks caused by the shortage of workers skilled in emerging technologies. This means that if you’re set on a career in tech, then developing skills around engineering, deploying, or maintaining blockchain solutions is likely to set you up for a bright future. As with AI, there simply aren’t enough skilled blockchain professionals out there to keep up with the industry’s big plans for rolling it out across all areas of operations. As more and more blockchain projects begin to demonstrate usefulness throughout 2021 and beyond, the number of projects under development will rapidly increase, putting those who have been savvy enough to upskill themselves in control of a sellers’ market.

BGO Software, a technology and IT services provider, announced that the company will place total attention on further expanding its expertise in the development of innovative digital health solutions. A few days ago, the company officially established their Swiss branch – BGO Software and Technologie, located at Site Novartis Campus, Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area.

Over the last decade, BGO Software has been widely recognized for being a specialised services provider for some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland, as well as the Health Research Authority in the UK.

One of the most impactful solutions developed by BGO Software is HARP – a database, which records and tracks the progress of research applications submitted to the HRA (Department of Health, UK). The system transformed and completely digitized the way the government reviews and manages clinical trial applications, conducts post-approval monitoring and prepares comprehensive reports. The HARP platform was one of the factors making it possible for the NHS to approve the first COVID vaccine for mass use in the world, faster than any other country.

BGO Software presented a completely new website with an impressive portfolio of comprehensive solutions for each segment that they serve. Among them stand out Patient Engagement Solutions, Digital Therapeutics, Disease Awareness and Management Applications, Electronic Patient Records, CTMS, EDC solutions, Risk-based Monitoring Systems, Custom Product and Process Monitoring Solutions and many more.

BGO Software employs human-centred product design and behavioural science, to develop health solutions that change behaviours, reduce costs and improve outcomes for end-users. The company’s deep understanding of the clinical and regulatory landscape ensures that clients invest in digital health products that make a lasting impact and most importantly – that the market needs.

“To be able to do the maximum for our clients, we need one thing more than anything else – focus. Our experience as an outsourcing company, working with hundreds of private and government enterprises over the years, gave us the knowledge and experience, that we need to deliver premium services, industry know-how and indisputable quality of every project, every time. Placing our total attention on delivering digital health services, is a logical next step for BGO. This is our way to leave a mark in the industry, which we know best and where we can create the greatest value – for patients, doctors and industry professionals.”, says Ivan Lekushev, CEO of BGO Software.

In 2020 BGO Software joined the ecosystem of the Digital Health and Innovation Cluster in Bulgaria. The DHI cluster is an NGO, that supports companies and organisations that develop and implement digital solutions and innovations in healthcare and create an environment for them to grow and connect.

Security teams were more focused on protecting their walled garden. Now they are dealing with a much larger and unpredictable attack surface. Users are working from home, possibly using their own devices. This is true regardless of the business size or industry sector.

Prioritize your security

Companies didn’t fully understand the risks their business was under or the importance of their tech infrastructure. The reality is that if your business collects, uses or engages with online data, you are responsible for its safety.

To help the larger business understand the role of the security team, leadership needs to make sure that the entire organization sees themselves as part of the data first tech company. This increases compliance with security regulations and an appreciation for focusing on this component of the business.

Compliance is not security

This is an essential difference to understand. Compliance is about checking the same processes to meet some pre-established requirements and procedures. Security is about continually monitoring for new and unexpected vulnerabilities. The best way to think of this important difference is as though there is an (ideally) impenetrable net covering every component of your business. Compliance checks the state of that net at a moment in time and from an established list of criteria, but it isn’t checking for a continually growing set of new threats that are not yet on the list.

Security requires ongoing vigilance for unexpected vulnerabilities. It’s very much a real time and continuous effort.

When it comes to cybersecurity planning, the lesson for businesses is that following established processes is not enough. It’s about anticipating what could happen or what could possibly go wrong. Security is like an ongoing and engaged state of being — it needs active and ongoing vigilance and maintenance to remain operational and be ready to pivot when the expected happens.

Finally, alongside these framework adjustments, successfully integrating security into strategy will be easier if the security team is connected into conversations on business transformation, digital initiatives, customer or client feedback. Similarly, making sure they are looped in with senior executives regularly will help the security team understand the risk levels related to core business practices.

Customers aren’t going to shop or trust a service provider if they think buying or working with them is going to put their own data or security at risk. The challenge is how to do this successfully and at scale, and how to be able quickly deploy resources to be continually detecting new threats — all of which takes significant resources and technical expertise.

This is why end-to-end and turnkey solutions that streamline the ability to provide ongoing security testing and assurance validation will be essential to the post-Covid success of startups and SMBs.

Since the past year, the pandemic has changed the way we live and resulted in record low carbon emissions in 2020 as people were at home during the COVID-19 crisis. With the surge in investments in sustainable tech, there has been a substantial increase in the number of sustainable ‘green’ companies worldwide.

Here’s a list of some of the coolest sustainable tech startups that help people to reduce their carbon footprint.

Infogrid

Infogrid’s smart building platform combines the world’s smartest IoT sensors with powerful AI to automate and optimise facilities and building management. With Infogrid’s end-to-end system, Facilities Managers and estate owners can create efficient, healthy, and sustainable buildings. One of their main objectives is to help reduce the impact of the building industry on the environment.

Мonophases

Мonophases is a service-oriented trading firm, specialized in the agricultural commodity Hemp. This GreenTech Start-Up work on technological solutions for the empowerment of the supply chain, specifically the production, processing, and trade of agricultural commodities. Since their foundation, their extraordinary team of different backgrounds, cultures, attitudes, ages and experiences fostered a strong network in the international hemp industry.

Treejer

Treejer is a unique borderless approach in Climate Action powered by blockchain technology that functions as a link between those who fund trees and those who plant them even in the most remote places on our planet. It records credit ownership and enables secure payment between different parties using smart contracts. Treejer enables a decentralized voluntary market where carbon footprint can be reduced more transparently.

Nigel Phan, Founder of Whirli

Whirli

Whirli is a fully managed retail service for children’s toys. Starting from just £9.99 per month, parents can choose toys from a wide range of categories and brands including Le Toy Van, Melissa & Doug, Fisher-Price, VTech, Micro Scooters and many more. The company intends to use its funding to expand its customer offering and continue investing in its proprietary technology.

Pesky Fish

Pesky Fish is building a better and more sustainable seafood industry for fish, fishermen and consumers across the world. It is creating a more economically and ecologically sustainable industry for fish, fishermen and consumers. To deliver it, the company is building a global supply chain where any fisherman can sell to any customer with 100% transparency.

Worthmore team

Worthmore

Treepoints is a subscription service that simplifies positive climate action for businesses and individuals that helps them understand and manage their carbon emissions and contribute to combating climate change. For Earth Day 2021, Treepoints has added an extra incentive for businesses encouraging them to do good for the planet and double the impact of new members for the whole of April.

Helios.do

Helios.do is a sustainable banking alternative based in France. Their team, in Paris and Nantes, works tirelessly to reinvent banking rules to finance a sustainable future for all. This Fintech Startup company engage in responsible funding: not a single euro finances sectors that threaten their environment, biodiversity or people, such as coal, oil extraction but also armaments, intensive farming, or even chemical pesticides. Helios imposes a standard of transparency and climate commitment up to the challenges of the decade, which must become the norm.

HumanForest

London-based HumanForest, a one-of-a-kind shared electric bike service, works with the mission to help improve air quality in cities and wants people to make sustainable choices that will let them protect the environment. With the investment from the crowdfunding campaign, the company will facilitate up to 7,000 rides and avoid nearly 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions into London’s air every day.

ScaleTHENGlobal

ScaleTHENGlobal is an EU-funded programme with a pan-European dimension implemented through EIT Urban Mobility partners. We are looking for the most promising urban mobility startups with innovative solutions tackling city challenges. ScaleTHENGlobal supports startups in scaling up their business in Europe, driving growth and going international. It also supports startups from outside Europe willing to expand their business in the European ecosystem related to urban mobility.

Currensea

London-based Currensea offers the first Direct Debit Travel Card in the UK that links directly with your existing bank account. Recently, the company has partnered with Plastic Bank so customers can use their Currensea savings to remove plastic from the ocean. Except for moving to post-ocean plastic cards, the company is also announcing that it will remove 2.5 times the amount of plastic they produce every year from the world’s oceans.

Dr Virginia Corless, MoA CEO

MoA Technology

MoA Technology is a plant genetics company using its proprietary technology to generate potential candidates for use as herbicides. The herbicide market mirrors the antibiotic market, in that there have been few new molecules developed in recent years and resistance is developing to those products on the market. They work with the mission is to provide farmers with a diverse choice of innovative technologies for weed control and develop products that will provide excellent, sustainable and economic weed control in a broad range of crops, utilise naturally occurring as well as synthetic sources, and have minimal impact on humans and the environment.

Circulor

Circulor traces commodities from extraction to the finished product, supporting manufacturers with their sustainability goals, helping demonstrate sustainable production, and underpins effective recycling and reverse logistics. Their investment will enable Jaguar Land Rover to source premium materials with greater transparency throughout networks.

Ecosummit team

Ecosummit

Their mission is to maximise their impact until 2030, the global deadline for carbon neutrality. Ecosummit accelerates smart green startups in energy, mobility and cities to save our climate and planet. They host physical and online events, which are startup markets enabling business development, co-investing, open innovation, corporate venturing and M&A. Since 2010 they organised 20 physical events all around Europe as well as 11 Ecosummit Zoom online events. Ecosummit TV on YouTube provides over 1.100 videos (600.000 views). Their motto is “Let’s automate sustainability in every industry and build big startups with big impact.”

Clim8 & Invest team

Clim8 & Invest

Clim8 Invest is a London-based sustainable investment platform that helps consumers invest exclusively in companies focused on tackling the climate crisis. The company’s mission is to move billions of pounds of investments into clean energy and truly green, sustainable companies. The company aims to give strength to people to make a positive impact on the environment while delivering healthy financial gains for their futures with this investment.

Cambridge GaN Devises

Cambridge GaN Devices’ mission is to shape the future of power electronics by delivering the most efficient and easy-to-use transistor. It is a fabless semiconductor company spun out that intends to explore and develop a number of unique opportunities in power electronics made possible by the team’s proprietary application of Gallium Nitride to the silicon-based semiconductor transistor manufacturing process. Their investment will be used to double staff and expand its GaN product portfolio following decades of research in power devices.

Xampla

Xampla is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge that makes natural alternatives to plastics and is the world leader in plant protein materials for commercial applications. Its next-generation material performs like synthetic polymers, but decomposes naturally and fully, without harming the environment. Their mission is to replace the everyday single-use plastics you see all around, like sachets and flexible packaging films, and the less obvious, such as microplastics within liquids and lotions.

Recycleye

Recycleye has built a computer vision system, which is capable of detecting and classifying all items in waste streams – broken down by material, object and even brand. The company sorts recyclable waste manually, a process that is currently dull, dirty, and dangerous. Eventually, Recycleye’s technology removes the need for manual waste pickers. The company owns a library of 2 million trained waste images and counting, the largest data set in the world.