Computer Science student Maciej Szpakowski will expand his startup business in California after securing a two million dollar valuation for a biotech search tool he co-founded during his studies at the University of Southampton.

Maciej and student entrepreneurs Mauro Cozzi and Przemek Zientala have created Researchably, an AI-powered search engine that helps biomedical researchers find the most relevant information.

The team has completed a year in Future Worlds, the on-campus startup accelerator at the University of Southampton, and will now join the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator at the University of California (UC), part of the Bay Area’s tech cluster.

Their technology offers an exhaustive, specialist database of biomedical documents, including 30 million research papers, 340,000 clinical trial records, 750,000 patents and tens of millions of company and researcher profiles. AI-powered smart filtering learns from user preferences to find the most relevant articles, and automatically looks for the right synonyms, expanded acronyms and inferred relations between keywords to make searches as precise as possible.

“Getting accepted into SkyDeck is an instant gamechanger,â€? co-founder Mauro says. “SkyDeck’s focus on deep tech startups and its large network in academic, biotech and pharma communities makes it an excellent match so we’re thrilled to have been offered a place. The San Francisco Bay Area is exactly where we need to be and we’re going to make the most of this opportunity.â€?

The Researchably team first pitched for their fledgling startup* at an on-campus Dragons’ Den-style event in May 2017, mid-way through Maciej’s BSc Computer Science degree. Mauro has also continued his studies, in Acoustical Engineering, while Przemek has since completed his Geography degree. Their startup has been based in the Future Worlds accelerator space, located in Electronics and Computer Science, and benefited from the network’s expert mentoring and investment opportunities.

Reuben Wilcock, Future Worlds Director, comments: “Future Worlds is helping university entrepreneurs change the world with their ideas. It’s exciting to see exceptional student talent make a difference on the world stage and through our partnership with SkyDeck Researchably has the perfect platform to make an impact in Silicon Valley.â€?

Researchably joins the SkyDeck accelerator with a $100,000 investment from a two million dollar valuation.

Chon Tang, Fund Manager of Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, says: "Berkeley SkyDeck has the mission of helping high potential founders from around the world succeed in Silicon Valley. We look forward to plugging the Researchably team into the UC Berkeley community, and helping them gain the traction necessary to raise funding from Silicon Valley VCs."

*Researchably was previously known as FuseMind

Professor Dame Wendy Hall has enthusiastically welcomed the UK government’s plans to develop the country’s next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) experts.

Dame Wendy co-chaired the UK government’s review and analysis of the country’s current AI capabilities in their eagerly-anticipated report Growing the Artificial Intelligence Industry in the UK (published on 15 October 2017). The report set out a number of bold proposals for how the UK can stay ahead of the competition and ensure the adoption of cutting-edge AI brings with it substantial benefits for people and businesses across the country.

In response to the report, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has unveiled details of a world-first industry and government collaboration including the establishment of a new UK-based Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.

The DCMS also announced to develop a National Data Strategy to unlock the power of data in the UK, with measures to increase the country’s leading role in the ethical use of data in the public sector.

In addition, DCMS is providing £350,000 funding to the Digital Catapult’s work to help Internet of Things (IoT) innovators and the emerging sector. The investment will link up IoT projects in the UK, helping people benefit from connected devices and technology safely. It will showcase the UK as an international leader in these fields.

Dame Wendy, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, says: “It is very exciting to see the recommendations of our review feeding directly into government policy. There is enormous potential for AI to be of great benefit to the UK economy and to enable companies to create new jobs as the technology matures. Providing the right skills-base to support a strong AI workforce in the UK is an essential part of the plan.”

Dame Wendy is particularly pleased with the introduction of a new AI industrial masters programme which responds directly to recommendations she made jointly with Jérôme Pesenti in their independent review into growing the UK’s AI industry published in October 2017. Dame Wendy and Pesenti called for top-tier programmes developed with industry to meet the needs of employers and conversion masters degrees for students not studying computing or data science.

The new masters programme will see the British Computer Society and Alan Turing Institute partner with universities and major corporations to boost the numbers of highly qualified experts and help give the UK’s tech industry the talent it needs to thrive in the future. Work to develop the programme will begin in July with an ambition for it to launch in 2019.

“The AI industrial masters programme was a significant recommendation in our review,” Dame Wendy adds. “Industries, large and small, told us that they need people with advanced level AI skills, and I look forward to working with the BCS and the ATI to make this scheme work.”