Cardiff-based MeOmics is developing a new approach to psychiatric drug development that could help patients receive more effective treatments faster. With support from the Welsh Government’s Innovation team, through SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS), the company has put the right processes in place to develop and scale its technology, refined its route-to-market and positioned itself for future growth and investment.
Founded in 2021 as a spinout from Cardiff University, the company focuses on precision psychiatry. Its platform uses blood samples from patients with severe mental illness to generate human brain cells in the laboratory, allowing researchers to study how different people respond to different drugs.
By combining this biological data with advanced analysis, the company aims to support the development of more targeted therapies for conditions such as psychosis, depression and anxiety, which affect many people across Wales and the UK.
Dr Lucy Sykes, CEO of MeOmics, said: “We are developing a preclinical platform for precision psychiatry. By creating brain cells derived from patients and analysing how they respond to different compounds, we can begin to understand which treatments are likely to work for different types of patients.
“We want to do for severe mental illness what precision medicine has done for cancer - moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards treatments designed for specific patient groups.”
In early 2025, the company secured £25,000 in SMART Flexible Innovation Support Level 1 funding, enabling it to strengthen key aspects of its innovation strategy.
The funding helped the company to:
- Optimise data analysis and processing methods
- Scale laboratory processes to support future commercialisation
- Strengthen intellectual property protection
- Develop a clear and robust route-to-market strategy
Dr Sykes added: “The funding allowed us to step back and really make sure our plan was robust - from the science through to our route to market. It helped us move from proof of concept towards becoming a resilient and investable company.
“The rapid turnaround of the funding also makes a real difference for early-stage companies. Even relatively small amounts of grant support can be game-changing when they arrive quickly and allow you to bring in expertise or test new ideas.”
The company is already seeing positive results from its innovation:
- The business secured £300,000 in angel investment, including backing from Women Angels of Wales and the Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund.
- It has strengthened collaborations across the Welsh life sciences ecosystem, including partnerships with Cardiff University and clinical research partners.
- The company has begun testing compounds from Draig Therapeutics, a Cardiff-based biotech developing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders and secured a letter of intent for future collaboration.
- It has been accepted onto several high-profile programmes, including the Pioneer Group Life Science Accelerator Programme, Meridian Health Ventures Immersion Programme and Deep Tech Labs, strengthening its investment readiness.
MeOmics has also applied for SMART Flexible Innovation Support Level 2 funding, which would enable it to implement its innovation plan, scale its technology platform and move towards generating commercial revenue.
The company’s work supports the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy priorities by building partnerships across the life sciences sector and creating opportunities for skilled graduate roles, contributing to economic growth in Wales. As part of Cardiff’s growing neuroscience and mental health innovation cluster, it is also helping strengthen the regional ecosystem by working with Cardiff University and partners to translate leading research into commercial impact.
At the same time, its technology has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for people living with severe mental illness by accelerating the development of more personalised treatments and helping bring new therapies to patients faster.
Find out more about how SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS) can support your organisation. Visit Business Wales Innovation to learn more.