KeepSafe launch helped by the Growth Hub

Posted on May 5, 2020 |

The York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub has worked with an engineering firm to help them launch an innovative new product – the KeepSafe.

A team of engineers at Sylatech stepped away from their usual projects and focussed on a new Coronavirus-related challenge. The firm has launched a personal handheld device called the KeepSafe, which enables users to avoid touching handles, buttons or grabbing items unnecessarily.  The firm, based in Kirkbymoorside, is now selling the device and also aims to donate 20,000 KeepSafes to NHS and key workers in North Yorkshire.    

The KeepSafe is manufactured from a copper-based alloy, chosen for its anti-microbial properties.

Image of the Keepsafe, which looks like a chunky ring, with a sort of semi-circular hook extending out, to allow people to engage with items without touching them. It is a light copper colour.

York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub has assisted Sylatech for more than year, working with the firm to explore ways of growing the business. As lockdown came into force, the focus turned to supporting the rapid turnaround of the KeepSafe.

Andrew Raby, York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub Manager, said: “The Growth Hub helped Sylatech achieve their first orders and put them in touch with potential clients and funding sources. We’re keen to support this because the product helps to protect frontline staff against the Coronavirus threat, as well as potentially securing manufacturing jobs and enabling good growth for the business. It’s an example of the sort of support our growth hub can provide. We’re here for businesses of all sizes in York and North Yorkshire, providing free and impartial support to help drive growth, even in these challenging times. We invite firms to get in touch with us.”