Healthtech ‘no-code’ app builder leverages Australia-UK free trade agreement

Australian digital health innovator, Cogniss is poised to take advantage of the landmark Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA).

In December 2022, the unique ‘no-code’ digital health platform signed a global partnership with the UK-based world leader in digital health evaluation, ORCHA. The combination of these two digital health leaders aims to speed up the adoption and accessibility of digital health for both nations.

Cogniss has now set up a global headquarters in Cambridge, UK. According to Cogniss CEO, Leon Young, Cogniss stands to benefit directly from A-UKFTA.

‘The FTA will facilitate workforce mobility,’ he says. ‘It will also support closer collaboration between governments, universities and research institutions, and a better recognition of qualifications.’

Cogniss’ value-add to the UK’s NHS

Cogniss currently works with leading Australian research agencies, government departments and universities. It supports the frontline development of digital health solutions — without needing coding and technical expertise.

A good example of this is the Raising Healthy Minds app, the leading support resource in Australia for parents to manage the mental health of their children. This was built by the Raising Children Network and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.

Because it was built on the Cogniss no-code platform it took a fraction of the time and cost it would have taken going down the traditional software development process. 

Cogniss represents a complete paradigm shift for the health sector, says Emma Stevens, Associate Director – Trade & Investment, Investment NSW: ‘It speeds things up, dramatically cuts costs, and ensures the great solutions devised by working clinicians are accelerated and developed for the benefit of the community.’

Expansion into the UK

Cogniss has established its global headquarters in Cambridge, with support from the UK Department for Business and Trade, Investment NSW and Austrade. 

According to Chief Executive, Leon Young, this was a natural step. Cogniss sees the UK as the world leader in the adoption of innovative medtech both by patients and healthcare practitioners.

‘When we joined Investment NSW’s international trade mission in June 2022, we instantly knew Cogniss would be a perfect fit for the UK,’ says Young.

The partnership with ORCHA will reduce the regulatory and technical barriers to innovation. This will speed up the development of new digital health solutions. It should also expedite acceptance by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

‘We have seen Britain’s appetite to create a sustainable ‘next gen’ ecosystem and to empower the health system,’ he adds. ‘As a true, no-code “drag and drop” platform, Cogniss stops great ideas ending up in the “too-hard basket”.

Australia.  With the help of Austrade, Investment NSW and the UK Department for Business and Trade, we have been able to plug into a similarly vibrant market in the UK.’

Support from governments in Australian and the UK

Young explains the significant support that Cogniss has received from Austrade and Investment NSW.

‘Our challenge is that we offer the market something it doesn’t know exists,’ he says. ‘The Australian and UK Governments have opened doors for us, hyper-accelerating the networking process and short circuiting our own process.’

‘In fact, 20 percent of the cut through we’ve had is through the relationships set up by the Austrade and Investment NSW teams around the pending A-UKFTA.’

‘We have a unique opportunity,’ says Dr Lloyd Humphreys, Cogniss’s newly appointed UK Managing Director. ‘We are working closely with Austrade and the UK government to make it happen.’

Medtech opportunities in the UK

Opportunities in the UK medtech space are increasing. Cogniss has already signed a number of customers.

One opportunity is to address the growing mental health crisis. It is now one of the leading causes of sickness in the workplace and resulted in 85 million lost work days in 2022.

‘This is where Cogniss can really support innovative companies, like OneBright, to help create the next generation of mental health apps,’ says Dr Humphreys. ‘This will empower people to manage their mental health and wellbeing, reducing the strain on the NHS and public resources.’

More information

• Contact an Austrade Investment Specialist
• Check out Austrade events on UK market opportunities

Subscribe to our Austrade Europe, UK and Israel Newsletter to discover new trade and investment opportunities, insights and success stories in key sectors.