The Imperial College London spinout has developed a colour-change swab system which provides instant, visual confirmation of surface cleanliness.
London startup FreshCheck has received £150,000 funding from the British Design Fund (BDF) to accelerate the rollout of its patented colour-change hygiene verification system.
Founded in 2015 by Imperial College London PhD alumni Alex Bond and John Simpson, FreshCheck has transformed its lab side-project into a rapidly growing hygiene innovation company. Its colour-change swab system provides instant, visual confirmation of surface cleanliness. The swabs require no expensive hardware and no lab work.
Validated by international food innovation testing body Campden BRI, the system combines a simple swab with an integrated app and web platform that enables users to record, analyse and verify hygiene standards in real time. The technology is already in use across major UK food producers and is now being trialled by leading international brands.
“With growing demands for antimicrobial stewardship and data-driven auditing, FreshCheck is redefining what hygiene verification looks like,” said chief executive Simpson.
“This investment allows us to expand our range of patented active and passive testing processes, accelerate adoption of current tests, and take our technology into healthcare and other high-impact sectors.”
The funding from BDF is intended to support the company’s plans to expand its product range and explore new applications in healthcare, where hygiene monitoring remains a persistent challenge, as seen with the rising cases of healthcare-associated infections.
