Hospital acquired infections remain one of the most persistent and costly challenges facing healthcare systems worldwide. Beyond extending hospital stays and increasing operational pressure, infections spreading inside healthcare facilities can place vulnerable patients at serious risk while creating additional strain on already stretched medical staff. As hospitals search for better ways to identify outbreaks earlier and improve infection prevention, UK healthtech startup NEX Health Intelligence is developing artificial intelligence technology designed to help hospitals detect and stop infections before they spread further.
The company has raised €1 million in a pre seed funding round led by Brighteye Ventures, with participation from Adeline Arts & Science, AFI Ventures, Momentous Ventures, the Conception X Angel Syndicate, and a group of industry angel investors.
Tackling a Growing Healthcare Challenge
Healthcare associated infections continue affecting a significant number of hospital patients globally and are increasingly difficult to manage due to the rise of highly resistant infections. These outbreaks not only impact patient safety but also contribute to longer recovery periods, operational disruptions, and rising healthcare costs.
NEX Health Intelligence develops an AI powered infection intelligence platform aimed at helping hospitals detect, predict, and prevent infection outbreaks more effectively. The company’s technology focuses on identifying transmission risks earlier so healthcare teams can intervene before infections spread across wards and departments.
The platform is designed to support infection prevention teams by providing hospitals with improved visibility into potential infection pathways and emerging risks within clinical environments.
Inspired by the NHS COVID Response
The company was founded by Dr Ashleigh Myall after his experience working on the NHS COVID 19 response highlighted how rapidly infections could spread among vulnerable patients already inside hospitals.
According to Myall, the core challenge during the pandemic was not simply the number of incoming patients but the speed at which infections moved between patients within healthcare settings themselves.
The idea for NEX Health Intelligence emerged during his PhD research at Imperial College London, where he began exploring how artificial intelligence could be used to predict infection spread patterns inside hospitals.
Myall later partnered with Dr Chang Ho Yoon to further develop the company’s infection intelligence technology and apply AI driven systems to hospital safety and infection prevention workflows.
AI Powered Infection Intelligence
NEX says its platform helps healthcare organisations move from reactive infection management toward earlier prediction and prevention. Rather than waiting for outbreaks to become visible through traditional reporting methods, the company’s AI systems aim to detect transmission risks proactively.
Following its latest product release, the startup reported a significant improvement in infection control compliance rates among users of the platform.
To date, NEX says its technology has supported infection safety management across more than 40,000 patient admissions internationally.
Expanding Across Hospitals Internationally
The company is currently working with NHS organisations across the United Kingdom, including evaluation projects with two London NHS Trusts and an active deployment in the North West of England.
Outside the UK, NEX Health Intelligence is operating within a military hospital in Southeast Asia and expanding further through healthcare projects in Malaysia.
The newly secured funding will support the company’s next phase of expansion across both UK and international healthcare systems. It will also finance regulatory work, clinical safety initiatives, and the generation of additional clinical and economic evidence based on real world hospital deployments.
AI’s Expanding Role in Hospital Safety
As healthcare systems worldwide increasingly explore AI driven operational technologies, infection intelligence is emerging as a critical area where predictive analytics could significantly improve patient outcomes and hospital efficiency.
By combining AI based prediction systems with infection prevention workflows, NEX Health Intelligence is positioning itself within a growing category of healthtech companies focused on making hospitals safer, more proactive, and better equipped to manage infectious risks in increasingly complex healthcare environments.