Reneural, Solution for stroke patients

The route to rehabilitation and recovery for stroke patients is complex. Medical intervention often includes a combination of physiotherapy, pain management, mental health support, cognitive, swallowing and speech therapy. The aim is to try to heal the brain, or rewire its neural networks, so that they can function as before. For the clinicians and stroke units who manage a complex programme of rehabilitation, this can be extremely time consuming and ultimately costly. So, a medical technology capable of providing all the necessary therapies in one device could be a game-changer.

Brunel University of London graduate Victor Harabari has applied his MSc in Biomedical, Bioelectronics and Biomechanics Engineering in the search for such a solution. A volunteer for the Stroke Association and passionate about improving the lives of stroke patients, Victor is founder and CEO of Reneural (formerly CardioCrown Ltd). The company has developed NeuroVive, a stroke rehabilitation platform involving VR that intends to act as a supplementary rehabilitation tool to current practice, to improve outcomes for individuals post stroke. The device aims to improve upper-limb function, track and progress therapy and encourage independent rehabilitation, all whilst still providing continued support from a therapist.

In 2022, the company (then known as CardioCrown) was awarded an Innovate UK grant to develop the VR software that engages the patient in intensive, repetitive, and task-oriented exercises that promote neuroplasticity and accelerate recovery.

Further success would rely on finding collaborators, and on securing significant funding to continue the research into the use of virtual reality, robotics, and artificial intelligence technology. That’s where the RIEm Programme has had a significant impact on the company’s progress.

“I have taken part in a number of innovation accelerators and start-up schemes so I wasn’t really sure how much more RIEm would offer,” said Victor.

He describes how impressed he was by the RIEm programme’s hands-on approach. Brunel’s technical experts and academics guided the Reneural team through every stage, from refining their innovation strategy to crafting compelling funding proposals. This in-depth support, tailored specifically to their needs, was pivotal in helping Reneural secure its crucial pre-seed investment and establish connections with key investors like SFC Capital.

Victor adds: “We learnt how to write a strong proposal for Innovate UK funding by analysing good and bad examples, and then preparing to pitch. Brunel managed to gather an impressive investor panel, including a representative of EIT Health, the biggest community of academic, private, and public partners across the health innovation ecosystem in Europe, and we benefitted from lots of informal networking with both academics and technical experts during our sessions on site.”

As a direct result of involvement with RIEm, Reneural recently took the first three digital rehabilitation therapies into a usability study in partnership with Richmond and Hounslow NHS Trust, Hillingdon Hospital and Brunel University of London. The feedback from 19 stroke survivors and 21 therapists has been very effective in helping to refine the software. Academics from the Brunel’s physiotherapy, design and biomedical sciences departments are now involved with the company and have worked with Victor on joint project proposals, including one submitted to Innovate UK.

In November 2024, Reneural secured £200K in pre-seed funding, led by SFC Capital, with an additional £275K from Innovate UK's Investor Partnerships. This funding round will enable Reneural to expand its VR therapy offerings and extend its focus to include mental health support for stroke survivors. The new NeuroMindXR project, funded through Innovate UK, aims to address the mental health challenges faced by stroke survivors using scalable XR technology to improve rehabilitation outcomes.

“Reneural also secured a £5,000 Innovation Voucher from Brunel University to validate its technology with healthcare professionals. The study, supervised by neurorehabilitation experts at Brunel University, has supported Reneural in advancing our innovation and validating its potential to benefit clinicians and stroke survivors,” says Victor.

“Brunel University is delighted to work with Victor, our alumni, and Reneural to help the organisation grow to the next stage and optimise the innovation. Our multi-level support from Brunel and access to public and private innovation funding,” says Dr Michael Joseph, RIEm Programme Lead.

“I would strongly recommend the RIEm programme to any innovators who are looking to secure innovation funding and R&D experts,” adds Victor. “The team at Brunel is a valuable extension to my team in Reneural. Between us, we have the potential to transform the long-term outcomes for stroke survivors, concludes Victor.