Newcastle-based tech company Circadacare is on a mission to support independent living for longer.
Based at The Catalyst, one of our innovation centres in the heart of Newcastle Helix, the Circadacare team is developing smart lighting solutions that combine circadian light technology with an advanced AI-monitoring platform to enhance wellness and promote independent living among an ageing population.
Their latest product, Heleos, fits into a standard light socket and uses circadian lighting to support better sleep, cognition and alertness. It also passively monitors wellbeing and alerts carers if there are changes in patterns of motion or routines via an app – helping individuals stay independent for longer in their own homes.
“As individuals age, disturbances in circadian rhythms – the body’s sleep/wake cycle – become more pronounced, especially for those with dementia,” says Tallie Bush, Chief Operating Officer at Circadacare. “Our AI pattern and activity detection forms a personalised record, which can detect deviations from an individual’s usual behaviour to help the caregiver identify indicators of physical and neurological health decline.”
Growing with the support of The Catalyst
Founded by James Theobald, Circadacare has been based at The Catalyst since 2022 and has grown from one to ten employees in that time. Managed by Oxford Innovation Space, The Catalyst offers flexible workspace and a thriving business community, alongside specialist support and collaboration opportunities.
“As well as being a beautiful building, The Catalyst is a friendly, supportive environment, where people actively want to help you,” says Tallie. “It feels like a community here and it’s a real hub of activity for start-ups.”
The centre is also home to the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA), which provides businesses like Circadacare with opportunities to engage with researchers and policy experts.
“Being based in an innovation centre has given us the flexibility to upgrade our space as we grow,” continues Tallie. “As well as being able to work alongside NICA, there are lots of opportunities to network with other businesses through various events and workshops. For example, we recently worked with Urban Foresight who we met at a coffee morning in the building.”
Additional support from Oxford Innovation Advice
To help further accelerate their growth, Circadacare also benefitted from the expertise of Oxford Innovation Advice – an outstanding provider of business support programmes for SMEs – through an accelerator programme designed to support SMEs to develop new products for the healthy ageing market.
“When we heard about the Healthy Ageing Accelerator, we signed up straight away,” says Tallie. “The programme introduced us to other businesses and experts that we’re still in contact with today. The advisers were highly knowledgeable and the sessions provided us with some really useful contacts, valuable insights and desk-based research, which we’ve used to inform our strategies going forward.”
Looking ahead
With the global population living longer, demand is growing for technologies that support independence and ageing well. Circadacare is looking to expand its reach both in the UK and internationally.
“Over the next 24 months, we want to establish ourselves in the UK but also expand globally,” says Tallie. “We aim to establish an international distribution network, expand our product range and further enhance our AI capabilities. We want to be part of the solution to the global issue of ageing well and managing independence. Not to mention, we are proud to be part of the growing network of tech businesses here in the North East.”
Circadacare’s success highlights the value of combining flexible, specialist space with expert business support in a collaborative innovation environment. It’s a powerful example of how our centres help turn ambitious ideas into real-world impact — particularly in sectors tackling big societal challenges like healthy ageing.
If you're looking to create a home for innovation, support high-growth businesses, or strengthen your local innovation ecosystem, talk to us about how we can help deliver real outcomes in your place.
