Food tech business OSY Group has received a new grant from Innovate UK Business Growth under its Global Explorers Programme which will help the Manchester-headquartered business with international research partnerships.
OSY’s product Xtend, an antimicrobial packaging coating, increases the shelf-life of fresh produce and reduces waste.
Chief executive Marc Braterman said the five-figure funding package will help him explore a number of overseas commercial partnerships, as well as collaborative R&D projects abroad with universities and industry bodies.
He’s hopeful of partnerships in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Xtend enables a range of food items, such as fruit and vegetables, to stay fresh for longer by leaving microscopic pins on packaging surfaces which puncture and kill microbes, slowing the natural spoiling process that affects the produce within.
It has undergone extensive testing in the UK at independent laboratories, universities and other facilities, which has proven the technology to be food safe and compliant with the Food Contact Materials regulations for fresh produce.
OSY Group is set to bring Xtend to market in the UK and internationally over the next few months, and has previously raised £1m from individual investors to support its development.
Based at the Manchester International Office Centre near Manchester Airport, OSY Group has received £500,000 in backing in total from Innovate UK.
Braterman said: “Having proven our technology in fresh fruit in the UK, we now wish to understand how Xtend can be adapted for different markets, and it’s great to have the support of Innovate UK as we seek to maximise opportunities overseas.
“Our technology tackles a global problem whereby one-third of all food goes to waste, and this contributes between eight and 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“The demand for our product is evident, and this latest funding will enable us to accelerate our research and development on fresh produce in other types of packaging and climates, as well as extending to include meats, fish, poultry and bakery items.
“This will materially support our expansion on a global level by also enabling us to test the viability of new markets and to understand key variables and relevant criteria in targeted territories, as well as the regulatory environments.”
The Global Explorers Programme, delivered by Innovate UK Business Growth, aims to support UK SMEs to carry out projects that will help them to explore global opportunities and to build research and innovation partnerships internationally with the aim of accelerating commercialisation of innovative ideas in fast-growing global markets.
Andreas Johansen, senior innovation and growth specialist at Innovate UK Business Growth, said: “OSY Group is a highly innovative company which has already made promising connections overseas and wants to make the most of these opportunities.
“We are proud to be part of OSY Group’s exciting R&D journey. This includes supporting Marc and the team with innovation funding through the Innovate UK Better Food for All competition, and now with international opportunities. We look forward to continuing to support OSY Group.”
