Mobile health app wins BT Infinity lab competition for SMEs with innovative ideas for public services

A company which has built a fully integrated mobile healthcare service has won a nationwide competition to find SMEs with ideas that could change lives run by BT, TechHub and the Cabinet Office. 

Babylon, based in Bayswater, London, provides virtual consultations with highly qualified top doctors, along with cutting edge monitoring and diagnostics, one-tap appointment booking and prescription delivery, all via one easy to use app. 

The company's owners walked away with the top prize of £15,000, along with six months support from BT to develop their business model and six months membership of TechHub's sold-out innovation space. 

The BT Infinity Lab SME Award: Digital Innovation for the Public Sector was fiercely contested with entries from across the UK and Europe. 

Seven shortlisted finalists were invited to BT Tower in London on March 26th where they presented their proposals to a panel of BT, Cabinet Office and TechHub industry experts. 

Following their Dragon's Den style pitch, the panel privately discussed all the finalists before choosing their top three from a talented group of SMEs. 

Babylon was announced as the winner on the night and the two runners-up were Hull-based Educater, which has designed a digital system to ensure every student with special needs and disability has equal opportunities in education and Hackney-based Fluency, which aims to change lives by teaching in-demand digital skills through their learning platform and filling the skills gap in the digital sector. Both received £7,500. 

TechHub is BT's partner in the Infinity Lab competition and this was the fifth round in the series aimed at startups and SMEs1. 

Dr Ali Parsa, Babylon founder and CEO, said: "I love that we've won the BT Infinity Lab award, it's recognition of the impact we can make to change people's lives here in the UK and beyond." 

Ian Dalton, president government services and health, BT Global Services, said: "We launched this competition to find SMEs with ideas that could change lives and I am delighted that Babylon was selected as the winner. Their innovative service has the potential to positively impact people's lives and BT will be helping turn their ideas into reality. 

"BT has around 900,000 SME customers, 63 per cent of our suppliers in the UK are SMEs and SMEs are at the heart of our open innovation model. We have a stake in ensuring that small businesses are given the support and mentoring they need to grow and to be successful. We want to help these businesses to grow, and to encourage new innovators to come forward." 

Elizabeth Varley, TechHub Co-founder and CEO, said: "The quality and diversity of submissions was exceptional with a record number of entries." 

Stephen Allott, Crown Representative for SMEs, Cabinet Office said: "We have introduced a range of measures to open up Government contracts to small businesses. SMEs in the tech sector have been particularly innovative in seizing the opportunities presented by our reforms and this initiative supports our work in this area."