Healthcare runs short of one thing above all: time. Three Batch 1 startups each go after that problem from a different angle, with admin, monitoring and early mental health support.

TORTUS: less typing, more listening. TORTUS builds an ambient AI assistant that listens to a consultation and drafts the clinical notes and letters, which the clinician then reviews. A Great Ormond Street-led evaluation found staff spent nearly 25% more of their time interacting with patients. A pilot at Leeds General Infirmarys emergency department reported admin time down by 61%, saving around 13 minutes per consultation, with no serious safety incidents. In June 2026 it became the first ambient voice technology to reach UKCA Class IIa medical device status. Its also expanding through partnerships, including one to reach more than 3,500 GP practices and another bringing it into ambulance records. The caution is that human review stays essential, and the wider market is getting crowded.

Your Cue: continuous monitoring on a finger. Founded in 2021 by two UCL alumni, Your Cue makes a wearable ring that tracks vital signs such as heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature and movement, and sends alerts to healthcare staff. The idea is that deterioration gets noticed earlier, in hospital or at home. It has picked up awards including UCLs Hatchery Start-up of the Year (2022) and a health category win at the University Startup World Cup. Medical devices face long certification routes, so the real test is regulatory approval and hospital adoption.

AdagioVR: virtual reality for wellbeing. Founded in 2021 and based in London and India, AdagioVR delivers guided VR programmes for stress, anxiety and trauma, with human facilitators supporting each session. It serves corporates, individuals and community groups. The founder is clear it isnt conventional therapy and isnt meant to replace therapy or medication. It aims to reach people before they need a diagnosis.

The common thread: each tries to move care earlier or free up skilled people, whether thats notes written for the doctor, vitals watched continuously or support offered before a crisis.