Our Portfolio
We work with a wide range of City's spin-out companies and other external ventures. Here are some of our most exciting recent projects:
- The Levytator, the world's first moving and curvilinear escalator
- Totempower Energy Systems Ltd, a CleanTech renewable energy company
- Colour Vision Testing, a revolutionary advanced test for colour vision screening
- TheBackscratchers.com, networking and skills swap platform for the creative and entrepreneurial community
The Levytator
The Levytator is the world's first moving and curvilinear escalator, invented by Professor Jack Levy at City University London. It can be built in any shape a designer wants.
It can be installed in prestige environment where a special feature in design is wanted or as a horizontal escalator in airports or theme parks. Furthermore its design is flexible enough to be constructed over existing staircases. The Levytator Ltd. owns the patents for the technology in Europe, the US and China. Besides its flexibility in design, it is cost-efficient to install and run, and safe to use.
The LCI is assisting in the commercialisation process and in raising £2 million investment to produce a full-scale prototype.
Watch the Levitator video.
Totempower Energy Systems Ltd
Totempower is a City's spin-out formed to commercialise a novel aerodynamic design that utilises wind energy more efficiently, particularly at low wind speeds. Combined with other innovative technologies and a business model targeting the small wind-power market for both domestic and commercial purposes, Totempower is one of our most exciting ventures.
The London City Incubator has played a crucial role in establishing the company through the following:
- Preparation of a comprehensive commercial feasibility study
- Identification of the most effective route to market
- Creation and protection of key elements of the Intellectual Property
- Liaison with expert industry collaborators and mentors to increase the likelihood of raising investment funds
Visit Totempower's website to learn more about the company.
Colour Vision Testing
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a progressive eye disease which affects the quality of life of millions of individuals.
We are assisting in the commercialisation of a revolutionary advanced test for colour vision screening whose key functionality is to identify the intensity of colour blindness in an individual.
Developed by City University London's Professor John Barbur (Optometry and Visual Sciences) the product provides early detection screening tests that reveal changes in colour vision years before retinopathy can be detected clinically, and so prevention can be introduced.
A prototype has been created and successfully field tested and clients so far include the CAA (UK) and the FAA (US) to conduct sight tests on pilots.
Our assistance includes the development of a sustainable business model that achieves scalability and optimises financial performance.
TheBackscratchers.com
TheBackscratchers.com is the invite-only networking and skills swap platform for the creative and entrepreneurial community. No money is exchanged on the website. Instead, skills are the currency and members use them to create, inspire, connect and collaborate on projects across various creative fields and time zones. For example, a musician could score a film for a filmmaker in exchange for a music video. It's simply "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours", or in this case, "you work on my project, I'll work on yours".
The platform is currently in private beta and will officially launch in the next few months.
TheBackscratchers.com is the brainchild of Jody Orsborn and Patrick Elliott, who met while completing an MA programme at City.
They entered the CitySpark business plan competition 2010-11 and walked away with the first place prize of £5,000 and entry into the University's London City Incubator.
They have used that money and support to create the website's prototype and are now working on the launch.