Arquella

Partner:Mercia Fund Managers

Region:Yorkshire and Humber

Location:Sheffield

Programme:Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

A Sheffield company, which has developed a more advanced ‘nurse call’ system for care homes, has secured £350,000 investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Arquella’s AURA hardware and AIDA data platform replace outdated pager systems with the latest digital technology, helping to save time for staff and improve the quality of patient care. When a patient calls for help, the system sends calls directly to staff who carry smartphones, reducing time spent on accessing call panel information. The design of the system allows both staff and residents to be located accurately within the building.

The AIDA platform collects data and displays it on a dashboard for easy viewing. It can also be integrated with other IT systems and generates reports to provide evidence that the home is complying with the Care Quality Commission standards.

Arquella was founded in 2017 by Reuben Timoney, Paul Howell and Ian Jones and now employs five people supplying nurse call systems to care homes and providing engineering support. The team, who all had previous experience in the industry, recognised the potential that new technologies could offer and had a vision to create a new and smarter system. The funding will help them further develop and market the Arquella platform.

Paul Howell, Arquella CEO added: “Demand for care will only increase in the coming decades. Care staff are already overworked and we can’t continue to put them under pressure. Instead, we need to provide tools that release them from the administrative burden to deliver great care. That focus is at the heart of our innovation pathway.”

Will Schaffer, Investment Manager with Mercia, said: “With the care industry facing unprecedented levels of demand, finding ways to support carers and allow them to spend more time with patients is essential. Arquella is shaking up the industry by offering organisations of all sizes the technology that enables them to do that.”

Grant Peggie, Director at the British Business Bank said: “We are pleased that NPIF has continued to support growing businesses across the North, providing vital funding to enable job creation and expansion into new markets. This investment demonstrates how this funding can make a real difference to small businesses across the Northern Powerhouse region, which helps to create a more prosperous regional economy.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Enterprise Ventures Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 183363).  EV Business Loans Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 443560).

Editors Notes