Birmingham Startups 2.0

Welcome to the first edition of Birmingham Startups 2.0.

These 24 founder-led startups are not backed by venture capital. Bootstrapped, pre-seed or angel-backed, the enterprises are in the early stages of their journey and either building or harnessing a unique technology.

We invited nominations from our readers, key figures in Birmingham’s tech scene and an array of incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces.

We are running annual Startups 2.0 lists in all major UK cities. To discuss sponsorship, contact the editor Jonathan Symcox at this email address. Options include pitching competitions and roundtables featuring the successful startups.

Subscribe to our Wednesday lunchtime newsletter to keep in the loop and for a weekly dose of entrepreneurial stories, startup growth advice and investor news.

B13.ai
Democratising software development through generative AI. B13.ai’s suite of tools aims to significantly mitigate the risks of overspending on AI and flawed specifications: Venture Mapping streamlines the initial planning phase, Cadence offers best-practice methodologies for effective project management and execution, and Lena is an AI expert chatbot that revolutionises requirement gathering.
Bloomwise
Proactive workplace mental health solutions. Bloomwise comprises a mental health app, workshops and wellbeing consultancy. The app features daily check-ins to promote self-awareness within your team; tracks mental health and workplace health; helps create aims, objectives and goals; and generates key value data for your workplace to glean insights into the health of your company on both an individual and organisational level.
Debit My Mobile
Debit My Mobile is a payments platform for the transport sector. The direct carrier billing-based technology allows users to pay for parking sessions and penalty charge notices instantly with nothing more than text message capability. A QR code and mobile number printed directly on the PCN allows users to charge the fine directly to their phone bill or deduct it directly from their pay-as-you-go credit.
Eject
An API development tool for software engineers which features an open-source pre-built code library to speed up web development. Technical or non-technical users can design their application via a visual editor and Eject automatically compiles it to Node.js. In effect, a design tool that simultaneously codes, allowing team members to collaborate directly during the build and review processes.
Epicentre AI Ltd
Epicentre AI is designed to revolutionise public safety and law enforcement operations by harnessing the power of AI. The platform integrates and analyses vast amounts of data captured automatically from sources such as CCTV, smart doorbells, dashcams and automatic number plate recognition systems – enabling quicker, more informed decisions by law enforcement agencies.
Extra Skills
A free platform making it easy for learners to search and find courses. Verified universities, colleges and professional/vocational training services can create a business profile on Extra Skills and list their courses for free, while potential students can find short courses, apprenticeships or longer courses from top universities and specialist organisations.
Fabrio
Platform assisting with the learning of computer-aided design (CAD) at university- and secondary school-level. Provides structured courses catering for different learning styles, with real-time marking and feedback. Students can access tutorials and study independently at home while automatic assessment within Fusion 360 saves teachers hours of marking.
FundingHero
Early stage founders spend 60% of their time fundraising, causing stress and time away from their fledgling business. FundingHero simplifies the raising process from idea through to Series A via a platform which breaks it down into six core pillars – Fundraise Planning, Funding Types, Investment Materials, Ask & Valuation, Pitching & Due diligence – to ensure they understand the journey and can prepare properly.
Healome Therapeutics
Healome Therapeutics is a healthcare company developing treatments for restoring function in diseased and damaged tissues, with a current focus on ocular surface diseases. It engineers and locally delivers ‘pro-healing’ micro-environments to tackle some of the most notoriously challenging conditions known to have biological, chemical and physical drivers or pose significant drug delivery and retention challenges.
Joobii
Joobii is a software developer that creates social employment platforms, advertising and job marketing services. Specialising in employer branding, its interactive video recruitment – popular on TikTok with sky-high engagement rates – allows firms to speed up the recruitment process while simultaneously attracting more customers.
Kavlr
Many businesses struggle with time-consuming administrative tasks such as invoicing, tracking expenses and managing payments. Kavlr’s all-in-one platform provides startups and individuals with tools and services which connect to secure and reliable banking services, options to launch and manage an online presence, and multiple payment options.
Knowness
An education platform which takes users on a lifelong learning journey from school, sixth-form and college through to university, careers and apprenticeships. It covers three main aspects: general subject learning alongside a like-minded community; school subject learning, preparing for GCSEs, A-Levels and IB diplomas via study guides; and careers & further education guidance including taster courses.
Lief
Lief is a disruptive Software as a Service ecosystem for the management of children’s homes and supported accommodation. It empowers them to enhance care provision, streamline operations, simplify regulatory compliance and save time via AI, smart data entry, alerts, speech-to-text and one-click report generation.
Maringo App
Maringo is a new social network ecosystem for digital creatives. Connected via interests and preferences, it aims to allow individuals, businesses and communities to interact, share and monetise their social experience through gamification and the integration of Web3 and FinTech functionality.
Maze
An online end-to-end platform that disrupts the traditional relocation model. Individuals or businesses with new hires relocating to the UK can have orientation, home search, banking, registrations, visas, work permits, utilities setup and social integration covered with little hassle – and all in a few clicks.
MediTask
A mobile application that improves communication between clinicians and medical students. MediTask revolutionises medical education delivery and optimises workflow via a communication interface, secure clinical passport and digitised assessment process – allowing universities to help students more quickly and assess more efficiently.
Packaging Bull
Custom-made boxes of all types and sizes – from cosmetics to pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and more – used by thousands of retail and eCommerce brands, from startups to multinational companies such as Adidas, Marriott, Old Spice, Pandora and T-Mobile. The Packaging Bull platform allows for design conceptualisation, prototyping and production.
Peppa.io
Peppa makes setting up and running an online shop as simple as A,B,C. Its platform allows small businesses to manage inventory, collect and process orders, manage customers with email & SMS notifications and make use of automated fulfilment and delivery options. It aims to drive increased sales through verified payments that protect buyers from fraud and sellers from frivolous order cancellations.
Quest Meat
A B2B company developing high-quality cell lines and ingredients that will make ‘cultivated meat’ affordable and sustainable. Its mission is to accelerate the industry by creating low-cost, food safe ingredients and bioprocessing tools which will help bring about a radical change in food production away from intensive farming practices – ensuring that there will be enough food for generations to come.
TAC Insights
TAC Insights is an independent B2B information services provider, specialising in events, content and community development, predominantly in the SAP ecosystem and asset management spaces. It already has a global reach, with events across the world and an office in Berlin. It aims to provide tools for people to transform their businesses and grow their network.
Taxbuddi
A tax services company that specialises in PAYE and CIS tax rebate via online forms and specialist advisors. Taxbuddi says many employees in the UK are not fully reimbursed for work-related costs that they have paid for out of their own pocket. If they travel for work, they could be reimbursed for travel expenses, meals and work clothes, as well as training, tools or even laundry that has left them out of pocket.
VaultData
Seeks to improve the integrity of how consumer data is handled by brands. VaultData has created a B2C app which informs customers about how to keep their data secure and allows them to earn money from selling it to brands they choose. Its B2B insights platform meanwhile gives brands the opportunity to make data-driven decisions using zero-party data taken from the B2C app.
Voilo
A fully integrated reward platform that enables high street shops in the UK to attract, retain and drive customer footfall by making them visible to millions of nearby shoppers and offering exclusive discounts and cash back on every transaction. Also used by charities, it enables users to make payments via QR code and includes analytics tracking and reporting functions.
Workup
Workup redefines efficiency for SMEs through a cloud-based platform which combines people, project and time management into a single application. It tackles key challenges such as resource allocation, forecasting of revenue and resources, decision-making and the reduction of administrative burdens. Currently available as a web application, a mobile version.will launch shortly.

Birmingham Startups 2.0

B13.ai

Bloomwise

Debit My Mobile

Eject

Epicentre AI Ltd

Extra Skills

Fabrio

FundingHero

Healome Therapeutics

Joobii

Kavlr

Knowness

Lief

Maringo App

Maze

MediTask

Packaging Bull

Peppa.io

Quest Meat

TAC Insights

Taxbuddi

VaultData

Voilo

Workup

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