{"id":20415,"date":"2026-05-01T13:27:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/uk\/?post_type=case_study&p=20415"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:27:27","slug":"how-a-healthcare-communication-startup-combined-grant-funding-and-rd-tax-credits-to-scale-innovation-across-the-nhs","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/uk\/insights\/case-study\/how-a-healthcare-communication-startup-combined-grant-funding-and-rd-tax-credits-to-scale-innovation-across-the-nhs\/","title":{"rendered":"How a healthcare communication startup combined grant funding and R&D Tax Credits to scale innovation across the NHS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CardMedic’s Challenge\u00a0<\/h2>\n

When Dr Rachael Grimaldi, an NHS anaesthetist, began her career, she quickly\u00a0encountered\u00a0a serious and pervasive problem that affected\u00a0nearly every\u00a0ward, every single day. Patients who\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0share a common language with their clinical team or who had limited health literacy, struggled to understand their treatment, provide informed consent, or clearly communicate their symptoms. The consequences were not only deeply distressing for patients and their\u00a0families, but\u00a0often had serious clinical consequences.\u00a0

Together with her husband Tim Grimaldi, Dr Grimaldi founded\u00a0CardMedic\u00a0in 2020 to address this gap directly. The platform was built as a clinically grounded communication tool for the NHS and wider healthcare sector, helping patients interact with clinicians across a broad range of barriers, including language differences, sign language, easy read, read aloud, and health literacy challenges, which affect more than 50% of the population.\u00a0

More recently,\u00a0CardMedic\u00a0has expanded its capabilities to include live interpreter connectivity, live\u00a0translation\u00a0and AI interpretation, creating an integrated, cost-effective solution for NHS trusts. The platform now\u00a0operates\u00a0across\u00a0nearly 30\u00a0NHS trusts, with tens of thousands of active users engaging with it daily.\u00a0

Scaling a clinically grounded platform within the NHS requires more than a strong product. It demands sustained capital, iterative development, and the ability to prove clinical and financial value to an inherently cautious procurement environment. For\u00a0CardMedic, the question was not simply how to grow, but how to grow without losing ownership or momentum.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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CardMedic\u00a0at a Glance\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\u25c9 2020<\/strong> : <\/mark>CardMedic founded by Tim Grimaldi and Dr Rachael Grimaldi, NHS anaesthetist, inspired by first-hand experience of communication barriers in patient care.
\u25c9 2020 (4 weeks in)<\/strong> :<\/mark> \u00a375,000 COVID relief funding secured through Innovate UK \u2013 CardMedic’s first grant and a pivotal early milestone.
\u25c9 2021\u20132023<\/strong> : <\/mark>Completion of seed investment round; CardMedic begins active pursuit of Innovate UK and SBRI grant opportunities with Venturenomix.
\u25c9 2023\u20132024<\/strong> : <\/mark>Nearly \u00a31m in grant funding secured, enabling a focused R&D programme and acceleration of platform development.
\u25c9 2024 :<\/strong><\/mark> <\/strong>R&D Tax Credit claim completed with Leyton in approximately one month, delivering significant additional headroom.
\u25c9 Today<\/strong> :<\/mark> CardMedic operational across nearly 30 NHS trusts with tens of thousands of active daily users.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The Grant Funding Journey – Partnering with Venturenomix\u00a0<\/h2>\n

CardMedic’s\u00a0relationship with grant funding began four weeks after the company was founded, when Innovate UK awarded the startup \u00a375,000 in COVID relief funding. For a business that had barely found its footing, it was transformative.\u00a0
“At the time that was a significant amount for a startup,” Tim Grimaldi reflects. “Without it, we simply wouldn’t have been able to grow. It was a clear signal that we should actively pursue grant funding going forward.”\u00a0

Once a seed round was completed, the team took a deliberate decision to diversify their funding mix. Rather than rely solely on equity investment that would reduce their ownership stake, they\u00a0sought\u00a0to diversify their funding, pursuing Innovate UK and SBRI opportunities as complementary funding routes.\u00a0

Venturenomix\u00a0became a key partner in navigating this landscape. Where other organisations had offered broad advice,\u00a0Venturenomix\u00a0took a more embedded approach by investing time in understanding\u00a0CardMedic’s\u00a0product, the problem it was solving, and the gap it was filling in the NHS. That depth of understanding allowed them to\u00a0represent\u00a0the business credibly and effectively in applications.\u00a0

“They’re genuinely an extension of the team,” says Grimaldi. “They have a far broader knowledge than we do of what funding is available across the UK and wider Europe and for us it’s been effortless.”\u00a0

The results have been significant. Most recently, a single focused grant of almost\u00a0\u00a31 million was secured, enabling a defined R&D programme and providing the kind of structured, milestone-driven investment that suits an innovation-led business.\u00a0\u00a0

What Grimaldi values about grant funding is its discipline. Unlike equity, it is tied to a clear scope of work, structured around what will be spent and how, with realistic flexibility when real-world challenges arise. That combination of accountability and support has, he argues, been central to how\u00a0CardMedic\u00a0has grown.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Without the likes of Leyton and Venturenomix in finding grant opportunities, we and other companies simply wouldn’t exist. <\/p>\n

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\n Tim Grimaldi Co-Founder of CardMedic. <\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The R&D Tax Credit Journey- Partnering with Leyton\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Tim Grimaldi was not new to R&D Tax Credits when Leyton first made contact. He had claimed them in a previous business and understood, in principle, that CardMedic’s work was likely to qualify. An earlier approach with a different provider had come to nothing, not because the claim lacked merit, but because the advisor had not taken the time to understand the business.

Leyton’s approach was different from the outset. A proactive introduction from Steven at Leyton arrived at the right moment, and what followed was a process that moved quickly and confidently. From initial conversation to a completed claim took around one month, a timeline that reflected both the clear eligibility of the work and Leyton\u2019s ability to manage the process efficiently.\u00a0

“As a small company, everyone wears multiple hats,” Grimaldi explains. “Having experts around you who are far more knowledgeable in these areas is simply how you move forwards as we can’t do everything ourselves.”\u00a0

The R&D Tax Credit landscape is not without risk. Grimaldi is candid that some providers in the market over-promise, or push claims into territory that is, as he puts it, “frankly unethical.” Leyton, he says, took none of those shortcuts, remaining responsible, transparent and realistic throughout, which in a heavily scrutinised tax environment is not a given.\u00a0

The financial outcome complemented CardMedic\u2019s grant funding position directly. The credit extended the financial foundation the grants had built, giving the business additional headroom to move more quickly. That mattered in a phase where NHS adoption required sustained investment before the commercial returns became fully self-sustaining.\u00a0

“It extended the financial support we’d built up,” says Grimaldi. “It took the initial backbone of grant funding and stretched it further. In our space, particularly in the NHS, you need that initial support before you’re in a position to stand on your own two feet. The combination of the two has made that possible.”\u00a0

Looking back, Grimaldi\u2019s reflection is simple: the specialist support was invaluable, and the only regret is not having found it sooner.\u00a0

“My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner. I wish I’d known about both companies at the beginning – I would have gone for it straight away.”\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Strengthen your claim<\/h2>\n

Our in-house team of highly experienced scientists, engineers, tax consultants and attorneys would love to answer all your questions and help you make the most out of your R&D efforts.\n\n<\/p>\n

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  1. Global experience<\/li>
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    Contact our R&D Tax Experts<\/p>\n

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