In the United Kingdom, every six minutes someone is told that they are going blind.
With more than 2 million people already living with sight loss, the numbers are expected to almost double by 2050.
Treatment of eye diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy costs the NHS an estimated £70M/year1. Meanwhile, the increasing referral lists for ophthalmology assessments and treatments add to the growing workload of UK health professionals.
Worldwide, more than 1 billion people suffer from vision impairment with underserved communities being the most disadvantaged due to financial cost or limited access to conventional eyecare in remote areas.
AI Diagnostics, powered by parent company Championsys, proposes an innovative solution that tackles these challenges and aims to significantly prevent and reduce sight loss.
The Coventry-based team has developed artificial intelligence (AI) powered diagnostic software as well as a smartphone compatible screening device. Together, these innovations hold the potential to improve screening efficiency, reduce eyecare cost and extend the reach of diagnostic equipment to remote areas.
The software uses algorithms to learn from patient information and by automatically processing fundus images and optical coherence tomography (OCT) results, it can identify up to 39 distinct eye conditions – increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis carried out by healthcare professionals.
The benefits:
- Improved efficiency: Shorter diagnosis allowing more patients to be seen each day.
- Early detection: Early treatment can prevent severe vision loss in 90% of people with Diabetic Retinopathy2. The sooner the condition is detected, the easier it is to treat resulting in direct benefit to the patients and the healthcare system.
- Increased accessibility: The smartphone attachment allows for examinations in remote areas or mobile clinics – improving access to essential eye care for underserved communities.
The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) has supported Championsys by developing their software into a robust user interface in preparation for real-world application.
This has included drawing on the support of the following WMHTIA partners:
- Birmingham City University (BCU): BCU’s computer science department played a pivotal role in developing the software for the diagnostic tool.
- Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG): Oversaw the product development of the smartphone attachable screening device, enhancing its accessibility and efficiency.
- Bruntwood SciTech: Championsys received support refining their strategy for AI Diagnostics’ market development and positioning.
- Technology Supply Chain (TSC): Provided Championsys with expert bid writing support.
- Medilink Midlands: Facilitated crucial connections for Championsys with key stakeholders in the regional healthcare and innovation ecosystem.
- Forresters: Delivered comprehensive IP support, safeguarding the AI Diagnostics technology.
Championsys were also WMHTIA grant funding recipients – allowing the company to further accelerate the development of AI Diagnostics.
What’s next?
The Championsys team behind AI Diagnostics is committed to staying in the West Midlands and continuing their collaboration with BCU in developing life changing solutions as well as establishing supply chains with regional manufactures. The company is aiming for commercialisation within the next two years.
Alejandro Garro, Director of AI Diagnostics and Director of the Data & AI Studio at Championsys, said:
“At Championsys, we believe technology should be a bridge, not a barrier. With AI Diagnostics, we’re making advanced eye care accessible to communities that have long been underserved. This is more than innovation — it’s about transforming lives at scale.
The support from WMHTIA was a turning point: it helped us turn an ambitious idea into a viable product, ready to deliver real-world impact. It brought us closer to launch and connected us with the right partners to scale our vision.”
For more information on the work that Championsys are doing, visit www.championsys.co.uk/ai-diagnostics
The WMHTIA is part of the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, which is led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
This new model of funding focuses on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement by supporting regional innovative businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs. In the West Midlands, local leadership has been driven by a partnership comprising of the West Midlands Combined Authority, universities and other research institutions, and senior industry representatives.
Building on the £100 million already invested between 2022 and 2025, a further £30m was spread equally across three UK city-regions participating in the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, which includes a funding boost of £4m for the WMHTIA to continue its support of Health Tech innovators in 2025/26.
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