How OpalMedica leveraged Manchester's innovation ecosystem to scale HealthTech

Identifying rare diseases and underdiagnosed conditions

OpalMedica is developing technology to support the earlier identification of rare and underdiagnosed conditions. Its GP Clinical Flags platform is being developed to identify patterns in clinical data that may raise suspicion of a rare or underdiagnosed condition and support earlier investigation or referral.

Founder Sara Elgott established the business after 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, including extensive experience in rare diseases and areas of unmet medical need. The mission is also deeply personal. Sara’s mother was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a rare disease, the day before she died.

Creating the conditions for connection

OpalMedica’s relationship with Circle Square began when Sara attended a pro.manchester meeting. The Greater Manchester business network works with Bruntwood SciTech to host events that bring businesses together and create opportunities for new connections.

After the meeting, Sara mentioned to Hannah Churchman, part of Bruntwood SciTech’s Innovation and Growth services team, how much she liked the building. Their conversation led her to the Female Founders Incubator, which she subsequently joined.

The programme supports early-stage female entrepreneurs in technology digital with workspace, mentoring, investment readiness support and a peer network. Targeted support remains important: Beauhurst data shows that just 17% of our customer companies across knowledge-intensive industries and technology have either an equal gender split or an all or majority female board.

Sara’s introduction to the programme also shows how a curated ecosystem can work in practice. What felt like a chance conversation happened in an environment deliberately designed to bring people together and connect them with opportunities that can help their businesses grow.

More than a professional address

Being based at the Tech Hub has since given OpalMedica a professional home that reflects the business Sara is building. For a growing company working with pharmaceutical, clinical, academic and NHS organisations, the quality of the environment provides credibility and gives Sara somewhere she feels confident meeting customers and partners.

“I actually came to 1 Circle Square for a meeting and happened to say to Hannah Churchman from the Bruntwood SciTech team how much I liked the building. That chance conversation led me to the Female Founders Incubator. Since then, it has given OpalMedica much more than a place to work. We have gained valuable connections, support and credibility, and being based in the heart of Manchester’s health and innovation community has been incredibly valuable as the business has grown.”

Sara Elgott, Founder, OpalMedica

Connected to Manchester’s health innovation ecosystem

Being based at Circle Square has also placed OpalMedica within Manchester’s wider health innovation ecosystem, supporting relationships across clinical, academic and NHS organisations as the company progresses the evaluation of Clinical Flags.

The value of that network became particularly clear when OpalMedica was preparing to launch its patient platform, My Rare Journey, in time for Rare Disease Day. An introduction through the Bruntwood SciTech network connected Sara with a former Female Founders Incubator participant who could help get the platform ready and launched in time.

My Rare Journey has since become an important part of OpalMedica’s commercial offering and is now being used in pharmaceutical-sponsored patient insight programmes.

For OpalMedica, place has provided more than an address. The professional environment has strengthened the business’s credibility, while proximity to Manchester’s health innovation community and access to a curated network have created relationships and opportunities that support its growth.