Enabling neuromonitoring tech pioneer huru to grow and build high-value partnerships in the USA and Europe

Clic EEG, huru's wearable novel biosensor, supports clinical researchers studying a wide range of neurological conditions to collect high-quality brain-activity data outside of a hospital or research lab environment.* huru is currently undergoing FDA evaluation for a wearable EEG medical device, to support the diagnosis and care of patients with a range of conditions.** The company has grown rapidly, building important partnerships in the USA, with support from Innovate UK Business Growth, delivered by Business West in the South West.  

Josh Eggleston has great experience of developing wearable products powered by complex technology. Ed Shelton is a hardware and complex systems expert with a passion for deep technologies that provide excellent UX. Both had worked senior roles at Dyson for a combined total of 20 years, with Eggleston former Chief of Staff CEO Office, and Shelton previously Dyson’s Head of New Product Innovation.

Personal reasons prompted them to co-found Bristol-based huru Limited in 2021. “We both had experiences of loved ones not getting prompt diagnosis and treatment for mental health or neurological conditions,” Eggleston remembers. “We’re both passionate about improving brain health, and took inspiration from other markets, cardiovascular health, for example, where home-based monitoring is accessible.”

As Eggleston explains, wider accessibility makes it easier to get more treatments into studies and more experimental treatments approved, thanks to larger objective data sets. It also enables more personalised treatment. He adds: “We created our neuromonitoring technology and a scalable platform, because we want everybody to have access to monitoring at home. Our vision is to be global, so that people in every nation can access timely brain-health diagnosis and treatment.”

Eggleston contacted Innovate UK for support in 2024. “We'd developed great technology, but it hadn't really been used in real-world settings,” he recalls. “We needed to access enough capital to grow the business, but we also need to validate our technology in medical and research settings.”

About a million pounds of grant funding has been accessed by huru to date. Eggleston continues: “Grant funding is critical to any start up, but equally important are partnerships across academic and clinical intuitions.” Innovation and Growth Specialist (IGS), James Rowberry, provided critical support establishing and growing these networks.

huru’s engagement with NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) was also supported and funded. “The knowledge we gained supports our aims to enter the UK health market,” Eggleston explains. “Consultants who really understand the space advised us on technology adoption across the entire NHS network. You also need to be sure that your systems, products and validation meet NHS requirements.”

IP support, including patent attorney engagement, has also been given to huru, as well as access to pitch panels, which has better prepared the company for external raises. Eggleston is glowing in his summary of Rowberry. “We wouldn’t have known about many opportunities had it not been for James. He’s fantastic – highly proactive and totally committed. He remembers everything – asking the right questions and prompting us when necessary. It’s great to have someone as experienced and knowledgeable as James on your side, sharing the knowledge he’s learned from working with others on similar journeys.”

With Rowberry’s support, huru successfully applied to the Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP), completing a market visit to Singapore in 2025 that was focused on health and medical technologies. “It's astonishing how much we crammed into our five-day visit,” Eggleston smiles. “We got to know the key players in investment and healthcare, manufacturing, regulatory and IP.”

In the same year, huru completed a hugely successful US visit thanks to Innovate UK’s Global Explorers Programme. huru’s Clic EEG technology was later chosen for an ambitious multi-country RCT (randomised control) trial funded by the Gates Foundation. The project will collect tens of thousands of EEG recordings in a real-world setting. “It came through partnerships we established in Boston and California with key principal investigators,” Eggleston explains.

High-value research collaborations have also been established with leading US institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital and The Broad Institute, which is based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Nothing beats getting hands on with the product. It allows the simplicity of the system to shine through,” Eggleston enthuses.

Rowberry also encouraged huru to create a profile on the EEN (Enterprise Europe Network) database, a network for collaboration across Europe. Eggleston says: “We've submitted a collaboration with five partners for Eurostars funding, spearheaded by the Austrian Institute of Technology – a great partner that we wouldn’t have come across otherwise.”

The growth that huru has achieved is impressive. As Eggleston comments: “We started out with a great idea and the bones of a product. We now have a market-validated solution that’s active across four continents, and our workforce is five times bigger. We’ve gone from an innovative startup to a credible business.

“We’re very grateful for the support we’ve received from James and Innovate UK, which I’d highly recommend to other innovative tech-led businesses. There are no negatives. It can help you gain the information, people and funding you need to grow, and enter new markets in the UK or overseas.”

*Clic EEG is not yet CE marked or FDA cleared. Clic EEG RESEARCH is currently available for research use only.

**Clic EEG is a single use, body-worn EEG recorder designed for use in the home, healthcare or clinical research settings. It records brain activity and is prescribed by healthcare professionals for neurological assessment (currently research only).

Clic EEG uses single use, single patient sensors that each acquire and record a single channel of EEG data for up to 30 days. Recorded data is downloaded by huru and made available for viewing and reviewing on third-party software.

Clic EEG does not make any diagnosis or recommendations and is intended only as a physiological signal monitor.  Clic EEG is indicated for use with adult and paediatric patients. The Clic EEG should not be used if the patient has known skin allergies to medical adhesives, or they have open wounds, skin infections or burns at the application sites.