Professor McNicholas and a team of experts from University of Liverpool were in the company of royalty last month as they won the regional heats of the latest Pitch@Palace 5.0.

The team pitched their healthcare business idea – Promedstem – to the Duke of York and his team at a competitive session in Alderley Park with other local entrepreneurs.

Prince Andrew founded Pitch@Palace 5.0 in 2014 to help entrepreneurs across the UK turn their ideas into successful businesses, with a specific focus on biotech, healthcare and life sciences.

Promedstem is developing a novel stem cell therapy that improves healing outcomes following reconstructive surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

ACL rupture is common in athletes such as footballers, dancers and skiers and can have a recovery time of up to a year.  The Promedstem product aims to reduce this time dramatically, helping patients rehabilitate and get back to sport quicker.

Promedstem have been selected to progress to a Boot Camp at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Cambridge on February 22, where they will be joined by winners from two other regional heats and receive mentoring from key companies like Johnson and Johnson.

Success at the Boot Camp will lead to a chance to pitch at St James’s Palace on March 7 to an audience of around 300 CEOs from across the sector, mentors and potential business partners.

For more information about this year’s Pitch@Palace 5.0., visit: http://pitchatpalace.com/pitchpalace-5-0-7th-march-2016/