Shard Diagnostic has become the latest company to join the University of Nottingham's investment portfolio, supported through Nottingham Technology Ventures – the university's wholly owned subsidiary responsible for managing its spin-out portfolio and related investments.
This milestone further strengthens the university's commitment to fostering innovation and driving economic growth across the region. With a portfolio of nearly 40 companies – including 25 launched in the past seven years – the university plays a pivotal role in supporting early-stage ventures.
Through strategic investments, the university is helping to accelerate growth, bring transformative technologies to market, and contribute significantly to regional economic development. Shard Diagnostic is the latest venture to join this thriving ecosystem, where pioneering research is translated into real-world impact.
Based at BioCity Nottingham, Shard Diagnostics is developing next-generation technologies for detecting biological analytes in several fields including Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Point-of-Care testing, Molecular Biology Research, Veterinary, Agriculture and Forensics. The alumni-led company is headed by Dr James Hassall (CEO) and Dr Declan Sculthorpe (COO), who both completed post-graduate degrees and post-doctoral research at the University of Nottingham.
Speaking about what this means for Shard Diagnostics, Dr James Hassall, said: "The investment arrives at an exciting time for us, as we recently launched our new website and product ranges across several verticals. We are looking to fully utilise this investment to catapult us into the commercial space and expand our offerings with our established platforms. The support from University of Nottingham and Nottingham Technology Ventures thus far has been invaluable, and both Declan and I are confident that this continued collaboration will aid us in our long-term success."
Shard Diagnostics also benefits from the involvement of Professor Mohammad Ilyas, Professor of Pathology from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham. Acting as a clinical advisor, Professor Ilyas brings a wealth of knowledge on the practical demands of developing molecular tests combined with cutting-edge translational academic research.
Professor Ilyas, said: "Shard Diagnostics represents exactly the kind of translational pathway from innovation to clinical implementation that we strive to nurture at the University of Nottingham. Working with them will be a natural extension of my current work aimed at developing solutions for Oncology and advancing testing in the APAC and EMEA regions. It's particularly exciting to guide the cutting-edge qPCR platform for liquid biopsy testing which will enable affordable longitudinal cancer testing that is so desperately needed."
Looking ahead, Shard Diagnostics is poised for significant growth as it continues to expand its product offerings and strengthen partnerships within the healthcare and life sciences sector and beyond. With the backing of Nottingham Technology Ventures and the continued collaboration with the University of Nottingham's expert researchers, the company is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on molecular diagnostics, helping to accelerate scientific discovery and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
